{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://renacci.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-column?ContentRecord_id=34E3B324-91E0-4817-8044-4580889F62C0", "Renacci Report: Looking Back At The Past Year In Washington", "2014-12-31", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Jim Renacci", "R000586", "renacci.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Looking Back At The Past Year In Washington\r\nIt is a great honor to serve you in the United States Congress. Though we have much work ahead of us, I want to take this opportunity to highlight my work on behalf of Ohio\u2019s 16th District in Washington this past year.\r\nAddressing The Problems At The VA\r\nLike many living in Ohio\u2019s 16th District, I was deeply troubled to learn of the systematic failures at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We can and must be doing more to keep our promise to those who have served our country.\r\nIn July, the House passed the\u00a0Veterans\u2019 Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act. Highlights from this legislation include providing $10 billion for veterans to seek private care at hospitals and clinics outside the VA, and $5 billion to allow the department to hire more doctors, nurses, and medical staff. It was signed into law on August 7, 2014.\r\nReducing the Negative Effects of the President\u2019s Health Care Law\r\nAs I travel throughout Ohio\u2019s 16th District, I continue to hear Ohioans speak of the negative effects of the President\u2019s health care law. Whether it\u2019s higher premiums or a small business grappling with the law\u2019s employer mandate, the broken law\u2019s unintended consequences are significant.\r\nThis past year, the House passed the\u00a0Employee Health Care Protection Act. It allows American workers who receive coverage through their employer the opportunity to keep their health plans through 2019. Additionally, I introduced the\u00a0Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality (STARS) Act\u00a0to clarify the employer mandate\u2019s seasonal worker exemption provision so that our small businesses can focus their resources on doing what they do best: create jobs.\r\nBringing Transparency to the Federal Government\r\nIn Washington, we know that our current path is unsustainable, but do we really know where we stand fiscally? The answer is that we don\u2019t, thanks to the federal government\u2019s incomplete financial statements.\r\nThat is why I introduced the\u00a0Federal Financial Statement Transparency Act.\u00a0This bill will encourage the federal government to clean up its balance sheet, lead to a more honest depiction of our nation\u2019s finances, and ultimately allow Congress to balance the budget and more effectively address our growing debt.\r\nReining In The EPA\r\nAt a time when Americans are in need of a strong economic recovery, Ohio simply cannot afford to suffer more job losses as a result of this administration\u2019s attack on coal and the affordable domestic energy that it creates. This abundant natural resource generates over 50 percent of our state\u2019s electricity and the industry employs thousands of Ohioans.\r\nI was proud to support the\u00a0Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America Act. Not only will this bill curb this administration\u2019s wasteful spending, it also removes the threat of new job-crushing federal regulations.\r\nTax-Free Savings Accounts For Individuals With Disabilities\r\nMany parents living in Ohio\u2019s 16th District have expressed the challenges they face when it comes to covering the costs associated everyday living expenses for their children. The challenge is even greater for parents with a child who has a disability.\r\nThat is why I was a proud cosponsor of the\u00a0Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) Act,\u00a0a bill that allows individuals with disabilities and their caregivers to set up tax-free savings accounts in order to save for their own costs of medical care, housing, transportation, and continued education. It passed the House in July and was signed into law earlier this month.\r\nCreating Conditions For Economic Growth\r\nOver the past several months, we have seen unemployment reports that show our labor force participation rate is the lowest it\u2019s been in decades. We must be doing more to incite growth and innovation.\r\nThat is why the House passed the\u00a0Jobs for America Act, a bill that changes federal law to improve the conditions necessary for economic growth. Additionally, I introduced the\u00a0Flexibility to Promote Reemployment Act, a bill that increases states\u2019 flexibility to help unemployed individuals find employment by reducing the unnecessary Washington red tape that continues to stand in the way of job growth.\r\nThese are just a few of the more than 300 House-passed bills that remain stalled in the Senate. Though gridlock in Washington is frustrating, I am more than hopeful that come January we can work together to advance these bipartisan solutions. As we enter 2015, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get our country back on the path to prosperity.", 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": ["http://renacci.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-column?ContentRecord_id=34E3B324-91E0-4817-8044-4580889F62C0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.78202211484313, "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"}