Press Releases

Home / Newsroom / Press Releases

January 04, 2013

2012: A Year In Review

Although many lament just how broken things can be in Washington, I have remained focused on results and addressing the issues I hear about from everyday Ohioans, from law enforcement concerned about human trafficking in Toledo, to families worried about prescription drug abuse in Southern Ohio, to National Guardsmen and their families in Mansfield, and to Ohio’s many small businessmen and women.  My efforts have focused on helping Ohioans, ensuring that our taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, promoting pro-growth policies, and protecting our national defense.

As a freshman Senator in the minority party, my team and I have been able to achieve a lot.  Here is a rundown of our legislative accomplishments that were ultimately signed into law by the President this past year:

Promoting Energy Efficiency

Important provisions from the bipartisan Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S.1000) I introduced with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in May 2011 to help the country save money by using less energy were enacted as part of The American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act (H.R. 6582), PL: 112-210. Read more about it here: Columbus Dispatch, The Hill

Protecting National Security & Our Military Men and Women

I successfully advocated for the following measures that were enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013:

  • Directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to coordinate with FAA and NASA to conduct joint research and find solutions to challenges associated with the integration of Unmanned Air Systems in the National Airspace System.  Effective coordination will ensure that enhance safety measures and permit the research and development done at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to effectively continue.  Read more about it here: Journal News
  • Transfers seven acres of federal land to the Village of Lordstown.  This is land that the Army no longer needs and holds significant economic development promise for the Village of Lordstown and the Mahoning Valley.
  • Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to conduct a study on domestic assets which can support defense hypersonic test and evaluation activities for the near and far term.  The study could facilitate greater utilization of hypersonic assets at NASA Glenn Research Center’s Plum Brook Station as opposed to DoD building new, identical capabilities at DoD sites.
  • Directs DoD to perform a review of their specialized degree-granting programs in engineering, science, and management to ensure institutions, like the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, are being utilized to their fullest potential in producing highly-educated military and civilian leaders who perform and manage the Department’s technology program. 

Combating Drug Abuse

Two measures I introduced to combat drug abuse were enacted as part of the FDA Bill, S.3187, PL:112-144:

  • My ID MEDS Act, S.2254, creates a national standard for states to exchange information from prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), giving states like Ohio a new tool in the fight against prescription drug abuse that is plaguing our communities.  This idea came from a meeting with police officers in Portsmouth, Ohio. 
  • The FDA Bill also included my Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, S.3190. Widely available and easy to purchase synthetic drugs have taken a dangerous toll on American families and communities, including in Ohio, and my amendment to ban these drugs at the federal level is critical to the efforts of federal and state authorities to combat this growing epidemic. By banning these substances at the federal level and authorizing the DEA to pursue the manufacturers of these drugs across state lines, passage of this measure is an important step in reversing this streak of devastating crimes.  Read more about it here: Yahoo News 

Improving Healthcare

The bipartisan Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act of 2011 (S.1718) I introduced with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to help strengthen and protect Medicare beneficiaries and the Medicare Trust Fund by improving and increasing efficiency within the Medicare Secondary Payer system was enacted as part of H.R. 1845, the Medicare IVIG Access Act.

Protecting Ohio’s Waterways

The bipartisan Stop Invasive Species Act (S.2317) I introduced with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to stop Asian carp from entering our waterways was enacted as part of the Transportation Bill, PL: 112 – 141.  The Stop Invasive Species Act requires the expedited creation of an action plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to block Asian carp from entering Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes through a number of rivers and tributaries across the Great Lakes region.  During this time of weak economic growth, we cannot afford to let this threat harm tourism, weaken the boating industry, or threaten the 100,000 fishing industry jobs in Ohio.  Read more about it here: Toledo Blade, Cleveland Plain Dealer, AP

Mitigating Flood Damage While Protecting Ohio’s Taxpayers

A  measure I introduced to help the City of Findlay cope with flood protection in as cost-effective a way as possible was also enacted as part of the Transportation Bill, PL: 112 – 141.  Findlay suffered one of its most damaging flood events in 2007, causing $50 million in damages while forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and halting operations at Marathon Petroleum, Cooper Tire, and other area businesses.  In 2008, the land was purchased using the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which prohibits the construction of flood walls or levees on purchased properties. Soon after, the Army Corps of Engineers notified the city that the land was needed for flood mitigation improvements and that to build around the land would increase costs by more than $3 million. My amendment will enable the city of Findlay to build a levee or other flood improvements on this land that was previously off-limits for its Blanchard River Flood Protection Project, saving the city unnecessary costs while keeping local residents and businesses safe.  Read more about it here: Lima News, Findlay Courier

Honoring Our Nation’s Veterans

The bipartisan Veterans Missing In America Act of 2012 (S.2244) I introduced with Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) to enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with veterans groups to help determine whether unidentified or abandoned remains are those of veterans eligible for burial at a National Cemetery was enacted as part of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act (S. 3202).  Ohioans initiated this effort and Ohio Congressmen Pat Tiberi (R-OH-12) and Steve Stivers (R-OH-15) took the lead in the House of Representatives. Read more about it here: Dayton Daily News, Cincinnati Examiner

Expanding Exports

S.2153, bipartisan trade legislation I worked on with Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) to protect American jobs and exports by ensuring the U.S. Commerce Department can continue to apply countervailing duties in cases involving non-market economy nations like China and Vietnam, was enacted as part of PL: 112 – 99.

Fighting for Fiscal Responsibility

This year, I also led Senate Republicans on several policy initiatives to restore fiscal responsibility and get our economy back on the right track:

Bookmark and Share