{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=4bc9475a-f9ab-4f84-9b6a-b336bba8e8c4", "Despite Congressional Gridlock, Portman Successfully Delivers for Ohio in 2013", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I understand the frustration of Ohioans about the partisan gridlock in Washington. But I view my job as fighting every day to break through that gridlock and get things done that benefit Ohioans and help move our country forward. I have remained focused on results and addressing the issues I hear about from people all across Ohio\u2014from families losing healthcare coverage they liked and not being able to afford the coverage they\u2019re forced to purchase under Obamacare, to law enforcement concerned about human trafficking in Toledo, to families and businesses worried about flooding in Findlay, to Ohio\u2019s many small businessmen and women struggling to find certainty in our economy.\u00a0 My efforts have focused on helping Ohioans, ensuring that our taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, promoting jobs and pro-growth policies, and protecting our national defense.\r\nIn this 113th Congress, I have introduced 33 bills, 23 of which were bipartisan.\r\nHere is a rundown of our legislative accomplishments this past year:\r\nFighting for Ohio Jobs and Protecting Ohio Workers\r\nOhioans continue to experience the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. My top priority in the U.S. Senate is to promote policies that help create and foster an environment that leads to job creation and economic growth.\r\nI have been successful in combatting unfair trade practices that hurt Ohio workers. Just this month, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled to maintain existing antidumping duties and countervailing duty orders against unfairly traded imports of hot-rolled steel until 2018. This decision follows my efforts with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in October to urge ITC Chairman Irving Williamson to maintain trade orders that would help ensure a level playing field for Ohio workers, including workers at Ohio based steel producers ArcelorMittal of Cleveland and AK Steel of Middletown.\r\nI have continued to advocate for Delphi Salaried Retirees who unfairly lost their pensions during the General Motors bankruptcy while other workers at the same company received their full pensions and benefits package.\u00a0 Last week, I introduced a bipartisan amendment at the Finance Committee\u2019s mark-up of health legislation to extend the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) for two years.\u00a0 After debate on my amendment, which was cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), I secured a commitment from the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee to work toward extending the HCTC when Congress renews Trade Adjustment Assistance early next year.\u00a0 This is the first commitment from Senate leaders to work toward extending the HCTC, which expires January 1st.\r\nFor the past year, I have been working to reverse a decision by Mexico to block products from Hilliard\u2019s Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) \u2014 a central Ohio pipe manufacturer that employs more than 700 Ohioans. Mexican authorities blocked sales by the Ohio company due to an illegal technical standard. In November, we were able to reopen that market, ensuring stable access for ADS to the Mexican market, and preserving Ohio jobs.\r\nIn April, I joined with a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to the ITC on behalf of American rebar manufacturers urging the ITC to maintain existing fair trade standards. In June, the ITC agreed to protect American rebar producers from rebar imports that are illegally undercutting American companies, including Ohio producers like Nucor Steel Marion, Inc. and Cincinnati\u2019s David J. Joseph Company & Byer Steel Group.\r\nIn March, I led a bipartisan group of eight Senators and Representatives in calling on the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose duties on a foreign paper producer.\u00a0 I was pleased that the Department decided in June to stand up for Ohio workers, including those at Appleton Papers, Inc. in West Carrollton, and push back on foreign competitors attempting to skirt trade rules and manipulate prices.\r\nFighting for Fiscal Responsibility\r\nWashington's fiscal irresponsibility passes the borrowing and spending problem to future generations, mortgaging the future of Ohio's children and grandchildren. Serious steps are necessary to get our fiscal house in order.\r\nIn March, I successfully fought for the inclusion of amendments to the Senate Budget resolution.\r\nMy amendment requiring that the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Tax Committee provide informational dynamic scores of tax legislation passed by a 51-48 vote with the support of all 45 Republicans and 6 Democrats. This analysis would give us a more accurate prediction of tax legislation\u2019s impact on our economy, allowing Congress to better understand the pros and cons of different proposals.\r\nThe Senate also unanimously passed my bipartisan amendment with Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to the Democrats\u2019 budget that would implement a deficit-neutral reserve fund that would simplify the tax code, close corporate tax loopholes, and encourage job creation.\r\nI also joined Senator Wyden to propose an amendment that encourages swift movement on renewing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). TPA allows Congress to lay out important negotiating objectives and consultation requirements to ensure that our trade negotiators work closely with Congress to protect American workers and to boost U.S exports. This amendment was included in the final conference report.\r\nCurbing Onerous Regulations\r\nIn October, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had mandated that local governments replace malfunctioning fire hydrants with new, independently certified, lead-free fire hydrants. This EPA regulation essentially makes it impossible for local governments to repair fire hydrants or replace them with existing inventory, potentially wasting millions of taxpayers\u2019 dollars.\u00a0 I was an original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation to bolster fire safety and protect local governments from this dangerous and expensive new regulation. I spoke on the Senate floor in favor of legislation that prohibits EPA oversight of fire hydrants. It has now passed both chambers of Congress and is set to go to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\nProtecting National Security and Ohio Military Installations\r\nIn October, I worked with my colleague, Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), to pass the bipartisan Security Clearance Oversight and Reform Enhancement (SCORE) Act in the Senate. The troubling case of Edward Snowden and the tragic events that transpired at the Navy Yard underscore the importance of improving oversight of the security clearance process. Senate passage of the bill is a step in the right direction toward fixing the faults in our system. The bill would increase oversight over how the government conducts background investigations.\u00a0 We are now working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass companion legislation in order to get the bill to the President\u2019s desk.\r\nIn June, I joined Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) in sending a letter to Lieutenant General James Jackson, Commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, requesting a status update on the Reserve\u2019s administrative review of several community requests to allow aerial chemical spraying on non-federal lands and urged the Air Force to allow them to continue this mission.\u00a0 As they reduce the likelihood of people contracting mosquito-carried diseases, the 910th, the only unit in the country with this spray capability, receives invaluable training for this important mission. Following our urging, the Air Force Reserve has agreed to spray non-federal lands for mosquitoes, and two sites in North Dakota and two sites in Virginia have been approved. This announcement is great news for the servicemen and women at the 910th Airlift Wing in Youngstown, Ohio and the communities in North Dakota and Virginia who rely on this important mission to keep them safe and healthy. I am hopeful that more communities will receive approval to participate in the Innovative Readiness Training program so that the 910th may continue to reduce the likelihood of disease around the country, all while gaining invaluable training.\r\nIn October and November, I also successfully fought for the inclusion of my bipartisan amendment language to the newly-drafted National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) deal.\u00a0 My amendment language would require the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to provide detailed updates to Congress on the status of plans to deploy an additional homeland missile defense site. This will help Camp Ravenna in Portage County, one of five candidate sites for a possible third Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) site in the Eastern United States. I also sent a letter to Vice Admiral James Syring, the Director of MDA, advocating for the selection of Camp Ravenna.\r\nI\u2019ve also advocated for adequate funding for the Abrams tank program at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima, Ohio. I was pleased this month\u2019s NDAA agreement seeks to avert the unnecessary risk placed on the Abrams industrial base by the President's proposed budget.\u00a0 As the nation\u2019s only producer of the Abrams tank, the Lima plant plays a unique role in contributing to our national security.\u00a0 As I previously urged my colleagues, we need to make sure this critical defense capability is available for the Army when they say they need it in a few years.\u00a0 A combination of production for both domestic and foreign use continues to be the right path forward.\r\nIn August, I toured ArmorSource in Hebron, Ohio, an impressive small business in Ohio that has been on the forefront of helmet technology. In July, I sent a letter to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and conducted follow-up oversight questioning the sole source extensions and delayed acquisition process for future soldier helmets.\u00a0 Following this inquiry, DLA moved forward with an open competition for this acquisition and awarded a $92 million contract to ArmorSource to make the next generation helmet.\r\nMaintaining and Improving Ohio\u2019s Critical Infrastructure\r\nEarlier this year, I worked to secure funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Great Lakes ports, harbors, and waterways that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy, including the repair of the Cleveland Harbor\u2019s breakwater and the dredging of the Harbor. The Army Corps responded by providing a $7 million contract to repair the Cleveland Harbor.\r\nLast month, I joined twelve of my colleagues from Great Lakes states in sending a letter to leaders of a House-Senate conference committee considering major water resources legislation, asking them to include funding for vital Great Lakes navigation projects as they resolve differences between House and Senate bills.\r\nIn July, the Senate passed my bipartisan amendment targeting dollars in the Transportation Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill\u2019s \u201cbridges in critical corridors\u201d fund toward bridges like the Brent Spence Bridge that are either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.\r\nMitigating Flood Damage While Protecting Ohio\u2019s Taxpayers\r\nWhen the U.S. Senate successfully voted on components of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in May, I offered an amendment with Senator Brown that could expedite projects like the Blanchard River Flood Mitigation Project (BRFRP). The amendment would ensure projects are eligible for federal construction funds upon completion of their U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) Chief of Engineer\u2019s Report and Senate approval.\u00a0 Without this amendment, BRFRP would not be eligible to receive federal construction funds from USACE until the next WRDA authorization.\u00a0 The Blanchard River Flood Protection project is critical for the region\u2019s economic future, and this amendment will help Congress prioritize the project once the Army Corps of Engineers completes its final assessment and recommendation to Congress. Although much work remains to solve the communities\u2019 problems, this amendment provides an expedited path forward to enable Congress to do more to help communities like Findlay and Ottawa in overcoming flood mitigation challenges.\r\nIn July, along with Senator Brown and Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH-5), I secured $20,000 of reprogrammed funding from USACE for the Blanchard River Flood Risk Management Project. Getting some funding to the project in 2013 was key to additional federal help. The funds will be used towards completion of the Chief\u2019s Report, which must first be completed before the project can progress.\r\nCombating Human Trafficking\r\nIn early February, less than four months after Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and I launched the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking, we secured an important legislative victory as the Senate voted in support of our amendment to allow child victims of sex trafficking to benefit from youth victims programs set up under S. 47, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Passage of the amendment ensures that child victims of sex trafficking are eligible to receive help under VAWA grants.\u00a0 Section 302 of VAWA authorizes grants to enhance the safety of youth and children who are victims of, or exposed to, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.\u00a0 This amendment adds \u201csex trafficking\u201d as a criterion for victims services in Section 302.\r\nDefending Religious Liberty\r\nIn November, the Senate unanimously passed an amendment I offered to strengthen the religious liberty provisions in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). I oppose unjust discrimination and believe that employees should be judged by their experience, their qualifications, and their job performance, and not by their sexual orientation. Someone should not be fired simply because he or she is gay. ENDA will help create a level playing field and ensure that employment opportunities are available to all, while also protecting religious liberty. The legislation includes a significant exemption for religious employers. In enforcing non-discrimination, we must also make certain that religious employers are not subject to a different form of discrimination\u2014government retaliation. My amendment helps ensure that the government cannot in any way penalize a religious employer because it qualifies as exempt from the non-discrimination requirements of ENDA, and I am pleased that it passed the Senate.\r\nHonoring Our Nation\u2019s Veterans and Volunteers\r\nI continue to be engaged with ensuring that our veterans receive the healthcare they deserve. In June, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on which I serve held a hearing on the effects of traumatic brain injuries on our servicemembers, and I pressed Department of Veterans Affairs officials to expedite pilot programs designed to address these invisible scars of war and reduce the barriers to care. In addition, I successfully fought to include an amendment to the NDAA that requires DOD to report on current telehealth initiatives as well as plans to integrate telehealth into the military healthcare system.\u00a0 This report will specifically address privacy concerns and challenges of implementing telehealth in group treatment/therapy, outreach to rural areas, and as in-home use.\r\nIn November, the U.S. Senate approved an effort to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II Doolittle Raiders. I cosponsored the legislation, which was introduced by Senator Brown and is endorsed by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services.\u00a0 This legislation will put the Congressional Gold Medal on permanent display in Ohio\u2019s National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. During World War II, the Doolittle Raiders exemplified our military\u2019s selfless acts of valor.\u00a0 They courageously defended our freedoms through their daring operation to strike at the heart of the Japanese Empire and restored hope in Americans still reeling from the attacks on Pearl Harbor. These heroes deserve our gratitude, and this award will serve as a token of appreciation to the four living Doolittle Raiders and ensure that their service is not forgotten. I look forward to the House taking swift action to get this important legislation over the finish line.\r\nIn June, legislation that I introduced with my colleague, Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.), to allow the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to use federal land in Washington, D.C. to build a memorial to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps passed the Senate.\u00a0 This bipartisan legislation with four cosponsors involves no public funding.\u00a0 The bill awaits passage in the House. For over 50 years, the Peace Corps has served as a powerful vehicle for volunteers who wish to use their talents to carry America\u2019s humanitarian values to other parts of the world. This bill will honor those Americans who have donated their time and talent to serving others, at no cost to taxpayers.\r\nRemembering Ohio\u2019s Heritage\r\nIn February, I joined with Senator Brown to introduce legislation to incorporate Colonel Charles P. Young\u2019s Wilberforce home into the National Park System. It was announced on March 25, 2013 that the Charles P. Young House in Wilberforce will be part of a new national monument. The announcement established the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in the Miami Valley to honor men, like Charles P. Young, who fought in African-American Calvary regiments.\r\nProtecting and Promoting Lake Erie\r\nDuring the 112th Congress, I worked with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to introduce the Stop Invasive Species Act, legislation to stop Asian carp from destroying the ecosystem of the Great Lakes.\u00a0 The bill was signed into law by President Obama on July 6, 2012 as part of the transportation bill.\u00a0 To follow up on this success, earlier this year, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act. I introduced the bill along with Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) to reauthorize the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act, which was first enacted in 1998 and reauthorized in 2004 and 2008.\u00a0 For over a decade this program has served as the federal government\u2019s research and response framework for harmful algal blooms. This legislation takes critical steps toward protecting Lake Erie and other freshwater bodies from harmful algae that has become a tremendous problem for our state.\r\nIn July, the Senate formally recognized a crucial American triumph during the War of 1812.\u00a0 I offered a resolution with Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), and Brown that commemorates the bicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie which was unanimously approved by the Senate.\u00a0 Oliver Hazard Perry\u2019s victory over the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie was a turning point in the War of 1812 and one of the great moments in Ohio history. The patriots who fought the British off of Put-In-Bay helped ensure that the freedom we won in the Revolutionary War would not be lost, and that our fledgling nation remained independent.\u00a0 I was very pleased to see the U.S. Senate vote unanimously to recognize their heroism.\r\nAdvocating On Behalf Of Ohioans, Helping Solve Problems, and Getting Results\r\nToo often, citizens feel alone as they attempt to weave their way through a vast federal bureaucracy.\u00a0 As a Senator, I believe I was hired as an advocate for fellow Ohioans when they need assistance in their dealings with federal agencies.\u00a0 In 2013, our casework team worked on over 2,300 new cases for Ohioans who came to our office in need of aid.\u00a0 We were able to resolve over 81% of all of these cases favorably.   \u00a0  I am proud of our team, and wanted to share a few examples of the work we were able to do just this year:\u00a0\r\n\u2022\u00a0A local foundation that conducts humanitarian work was having problems with the FDA and Customs.\u00a0 Over a thousand pairs of donated reading glasses from China were seized and had to go to the FDA for testing.\u00a0 Our staff was able to expedite the release of the shipment and have the glasses distributed to needy families.\r\n\u2022\u00a0A Cleveland business owner looking to expand his business had been waiting for months for a wine bond to be approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury.\u00a0 He contacted us in May hoping to have it expedited in time for a Memorial Day grand opening.\u00a0 We were able to get the application pulled and approved in time for his Memorial Day celebration.\u00a0\r\n\u2022\u00a0I had met a servicemember while traveling to Afghanistan who was looking for help with an immigration application for an Iraqi interpreter who was assisting the U.S. military under the Iraqi Interpreter Program.\u00a0 The case had been stuck at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul waiting for a Chief of Mission letter of support.\u00a0 My team was able to have the letter issued and the case scheduled for interview, which led to the applicant and his family receiving visas in May of 2013.\r\n\u2022\u00a0After repeated attempts of trying to get a mortgage application approved through Fannie Mae, a North Canton woman contacted my office for help. We were able to quickly expedite the application and get her into her new home.\r\n\u2022\u00a0A Toledo area woman discovered after surprising her two grandsons with a trip to England that their passports were expired.\u00a0 This was discovered two days before they were to leave for their trip.\u00a0 We were able to quickly arrange for them to appear at a local passport agency the next morning and expedite their applications in time for their trip.\r\n\u2022\u00a0A Southwest Ohio resident found out ten days in advance that he would need to travel to New Zealand for a business trip.\u00a0 Our office was able to expedite a passport for him, and then work directly with the New Zealand embassy to expedite a visa and have it back to him within one week.\u00a0\r\nThe letters I get back from Ohio families like these make this one of the most rewarding parts of the job:\u00a0\r\n\u201cThank you for resolving my problems with Social Security.\u00a0 I spent hours trying to get an explanation of charges and a correct 1099 form.\u00a0 I will tell people how helpful your office was.\u00a0 I could not handle this without your intervention.\u00a0 -P.S.: Akron, Ohio\r\n\u201cI wanted to convey my deepest thanks for your staff\u2019s impressive assistance in helping my wife and me renew our passports.\u00a0 Your office in Cincinnati got the ball rolling informing us about the forms and steps necessary to expedite our renewals.\u00a0 Your staff in Columbus dutifully followed through each and every step of the way and provided my office with progress reports and tracking numbers.\u00a0 What incredible service!\u201d\u00a0 -R. M.: Cincinnati, Ohio\r\n\u201cI wanted to follow up and let you know what a great job Roberto has been doing with the team.\u00a0 Just this weekend in Edgewater, Ohio, the entire team qualified for US Team Trials.\u00a0 Without your help with the Embassy in Montevideo, it would not have been possible.\u201d\u00a0 -E.S.:\u00a0 Mason, Ohio\r\n\u201cI want to express my appreciation for the staff of Senator Portman\u2019s office.\u00a0 These hard-working, diligent individuals made what seemed an impossible situation, possible!\u00a0 This staff expedited the process of renewing passports with less than 48 hours to our departure.\u00a0 Thank you doesn\u2019t begin to express the gratitude our family has for Senator Portman and his staff! Senator Portman has our family\u2019s support for life.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 -P.B.: Toledo, Ohio\r\n\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how important it is to have someone whom you feel is really working on your behalf when you feel you don\u2019t have a voice in this difficult process.\u00a0 While I suspect your staff would say that they were just doing their job, I hope I am making it clear that I sincerely believe that their involvement with my problem brought resolution in a more timely manner.\u201d\u00a0 -T.E.:\u00a0 Canton, Ohio", 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/press-releases?ID=4bc9475a-f9ab-4f84-9b6a-b336bba8e8c4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4895880594849586, "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"}