{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/columns?ID=e32ba169-71fc-46e0-8de5-ad8da0354814", "Weekly Column: Getting Things Done for Ohio in 2014", "2014-12-22", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This past week, I hosted one of our monthly telephone town hall meetings with thousands of Ohioans from all walks of life and also had an employee town hall in northeast Ohio with factory workers, administrative staff, and executives. There were lots of points of view but also a common thread to much of what I heard. Ohioans are tired of gridlock in Washington, and they want Congress to get things done that help them and their families.\u00a0 I agree with them, and that's why I've worked again this past year with folks on both sides of the aisle to accomplish important things for the people of Ohio, even in a very partisan atmosphere.\r\nEven in a Congress with so much gridlock, I have remained focused on solutions and addressing the issues I hear about from people all across Ohio\u2014from protecting Lake Erie to helping people connect with jobs, to removing regulatory roadblocks for Ohio's small business owners struggling in a weak economy.\r\nMy top priority remains boosting the Ohio economy and creating an environment where new jobs can thrive. In the 113th Congress, I had 15 of my bills signed into law, as well as a number of amendments and resolutions. I also introduced 69 bills to help Ohio.\r\nAmong other accomplishments, I've successfully fought for Ohio workers who are being hurt by the unfair trade practices of our competitors around the world. For example, we were recently able to win a victory before the International Trade Commission to crack down on countries that illegally dump their steel in the U.S. market, hurting Ohio steel workers.\r\nI've worked to ensure that all Ohioans have the skills they need to take advantage of the new jobs that are coming to our state. When I'm on the road in Ohio, I often hear that employers are having trouble finding workers with the skills needed to fill available jobs. That's why workforce training has been a major focus of mine, and I was pleased when major provisions of my CAREER Act were signed into law. These provisions will help train Ohioans for and connect them with good-paying jobs.\r\nI'm also committed to making Washington do all that it can to ensure that your taxpayer dollars are not wasted. Earlier this year, my Digital Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act was signed into law. The DATA Act allows taxpayers and lawmakers to track the dollars spent by federal agencies and more easily identify waste, fraud, and abuse in order to create a more efficient government. It expands the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act to require full disclosure of all federal agency expenditures.\r\nCloser to home, it's crucial that we're protecting Lake Erie and Ohio's other freshwater bodies for both their environmental and economic benefits to our state. I was pleased when my legislation to combat harmful algal blooms, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, was signed into law.\u00a0 I was able to create a specific section for the Great Lakes that will ensure federal agencies appropriately prioritize efforts to protect Lake Erie and other freshwaters.\r\nOhio plays a critical role in ensuring our national defense capabilities are second to none. This year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes several of my provisions to strengthen Ohio's military installations including my amendment to improve Wright Patt's Air Force Research Lab's ability to hire science, technology, engineering, and math bachelor's and master's degree students directly into the lab. As part of my ongoing efforts to support C-130 modernization, I co-sponsored an amendment to the NDAA that would allow the Air Force to use alternative programs and funding to modernize the C-130 aircraft fleet. The NDAA also provided critical funding for the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, ensuring that the important national security work done at the plant can continue.\r\nFinally, an important part of my job is to help Ohioans navigate their way through a vast federal bureaucracy. As a senator, I believe I was hired as an advocate for fellow Ohioans when they need assistance in their dealings with federal agencies. In 2014, our casework team worked on over 2,900 new cases for Ohioans who came to our office in need of aid. We were able to resolve over 74 percent of all of these cases favorably.\r\nI'm proud of our record this past Congress, but I believe we can accomplish even more in the months to come with the new leadership of the Senate.\u00a0 No matter what party is in charge or how divisive Washington can sometimes be, I will always put the needs of the men and women of Ohio first.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/columns?ID=e32ba169-71fc-46e0-8de5-ad8da0354814"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2664608657360077, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}