Rob’s Rundown: Week of May 10 – May 14, 2021
Senator Portman was back in Washington for what was a busy week. Portman delivered remarks on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon and made the case for ending the federal government’s expanded unemployment supplement. With more job openings than at any point in American history and vaccines now widely available, Portman argued that we must now turn our attention to helping folks get back to work.
During the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Thursday, Portman pressed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, on the origins of the Biden administration’s current unaccompanied children crisis at the southern border. As Ranking Member of the committee, Portman highlighted in his questioning and has consistently made clear, the current crisis at the southern border is a direct result of its dismantling of the Trump administration’s policies with no consideration of the ramifications of removing those policies and how would incentivize migration.
Wednesday afternoon, Portman joined Fox News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto to discuss the record number of job openings in our economy, and the importance of encouraging people to return to work rather than staying on enhanced unemployment benefits. Shortly thereafter, Portman spoke with Judy Woodruff on PBS’ NewsHour about the ongoing infrastructure negotiations. The senator outlined several of the major issues with President Biden’s $2.7 trillion plan and discussed the need for a bipartisan approach moving forward.
On Tuesday, Portman delivered opening remarks at a second hearing to examine last year’s SolarWinds hack and subsequent breaches that compromised the information technology systems of critical federal agencies, private companies, and several state and local governments. Later in the hearing, Portman pressed Brandon Wales, Acting Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) on the need for a single point of accountability for federal cybersecurity.
In honor of National Police Week, Portman delivered remarks on the Senate floor paying tribute to the men and women of law enforcement who risk their own safety in dedication to justice and a sense of duty to protect those in need every day. He urged Congress to support the important mission of law enforcement by working together on bipartisan legislation that helps in their work, which is why he called for the passage of his Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act to permanently schedule illicitly manufactured and deadly fentanyl-related substances.
For a more detailed look at Senator Portman’s week, please see the following:
Monday, May 10, 2021
Portman, Peters Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Reentry Opportunities Through Skills Trainings & Apprenticeships
Senators Rob Portman and Gary Peters (D-MI) today announced that they reintroduced bipartisan legislation that strengthens reentry programs that provide workforce training, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship. The Reentry Employment Opportunities Act would codify into law the U.S. Department of Labor’s Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) Program, which supports national, regional and local organizations that administer skills training programs. The REO program provides critical opportunities for returning citizens to be able to have a smooth transition back into society, and learn skills that will help them secure good jobs. U.S. Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Bill Johnson will reintroduce companion legislation in the House tomorrow.
“Providing reentry support services to vulnerable youth and young adults at risk of recidivism is vital to ensuring we give them a second chance at living up to their God-given potential,” said Senator Portman. “I am proud to re-introduce the Reentry Employment Opportunities Act with Senator Peters, which authorizes this important grant program that has already shown success as a pilot program at the Department of Labor. I am also proud to be working on this important effort with Congressmen Danny Davis and Bill Johnson, who are introducing companion legislation in the House. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation builds on my previous work to ensure that those re-entering society have access to the skills training and jobs necessary to contribute to their communities.”
Portman Op-Ed in the Sandusky Register: Break the Prison Cycle
In a recent op-ed for the Sandusky Register, Senator Portman reflected on the progress we have made as a nation in helping formerly incarcerated Americans get a second chance and achieve their God-given potential in life. Portman, who has long been a leader in working to pass bipartisan reentry legislation, pointed to the successes of bills like his Second Chance Act, which provides federal funding for proven reentry programs across the country to help more Americans get back on their feet. In all, since 2009, more than 800 Second Chance Act grants have been awarded, and last year Senator Portman worked to secure a record $100 million in funding for grants this fiscal year.
Senator Portman discussed how his work has continued despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, when he learned the Paycheck Protection Program that was created under the CARES Act excluded small business owners with unrelated felony records from receiving these invaluable loans, Portman worked with the Department of the Treasury to change the rules and expand PPP access to second chance small business owners.
Portman also highlighted new reentry legislation he introduced today – the bipartisan Reentry Employment Opportunities Act – that will make permanent the Labor Department’s Reentry Employment Opportunities grant program, which currently exists as a pilot program set to expire next year. Portman believes this program should continue to provide invaluable skills training to help returning citizens get good-paying jobs and stability to break the cycle of recidivism.
The full op-ed can be found here.
Portman, Peters Lead Members of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to Encourage Administration to Fill Watchdog Vacancies
Senators Rob Portman and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led several of their committee colleagues to encourage President Biden to swiftly fill Inspectors General (IG) vacancies to help safeguard taxpayer dollars and strengthen independent oversight of federal agencies. The letter emphasizes the importance of Senate-confirmed IGs to Congress’ oversight efforts and notes Senate-confirmed IGs are likely to be more independent than those in acting roles.
“As members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, we have a duty to conduct oversight of executive branch agencies. Integral to that oversight is the work of inspectors general to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs,” wrote the senators.
The senators continued: “There is no substitute for the steadying effect of Senate-confirmed leadership. Although many acting inspectors general have admirably performed their watchdog responsibilities, the lack of a confirmed leader threatens to impede the ability of these offices to conduct the oversight and investigations necessary to ensure that taxpayer dollars are protected, public safety risks are identified, and that whistleblowers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse are protected.”
IG vacancies are a long-standing issue in the federal government. There are currently thirteen vacancies of presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed IGs. Ten of these vacancies have existed for more than a year. Today’s letter represents a bipartisan commitment from committee members to ensure government works efficiently and effectively by strengthening independent oversight of federal agencies.
Along with Portman and Peters, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Rand Paul (R-KY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
Text of the letter is available here.
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Portman, Duckworth, Booker, Schatz Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Just and Reasonable Phone Rates in Criminal Justice System
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Martha Reed-Wright Just and Reasonable Communications Act to strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system. This bipartisan bill would help families keep in touch with their incarcerated family members, which studies have shown can help reduce recidivism rates and thereby save taxpayer dollars. This targeted legislation would address long-standing concerns about the prohibitively expensive and predatory price of phone calls that incarcerated individuals at correctional facilities across the U.S. are forced to pay if they want contact their family or friends. The bipartisan legislation would also affirm the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to address a market failure to protect family, clergy and counsel who communicate with prisoners, inmates and detainees and make clear that the obligations of fairness in inmate communications apply to all individuals, including those living with a disability.
“This bill is designed to strengthen families and reduce recidivism. Outrageously high prison phone call rates create an often insurmountable barrier between those in prison and their families,” said Portman. “While Ohio has done a good job of tackling this problem, this bill fills a void by helping to solve this problem nationwide. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this common-sense, bipartisan solution.”
As Ranking Member of Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, Portman Delivers Opening Remarks at Second Hearing to Examine Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Federal Government
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, delivered opening remarks at a second hearing to examine last year’s SolarWinds hack and subsequent breaches that compromised the information technology systems of critical federal agencies, private companies, and several state and local governments. The committee heard testimony from federal chief information security officers on what resources and reforms are needed to help mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities and combat foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese and Russian governments, from breaching federal systems.
Portman noted that in the last six months, hackers executed four known major cyber campaigns against U.S. government agencies and private companies — SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, Pulse Secure, and most recently, Colonial Pipeline. The SolarWinds and Pulse Secure VPN attacks targeted federal agencies, yet it was private sector companies that discovered these intrusions. Portman pointed out that despite all the increased funding appropriated for cybersecurity and the bipartisan legislation the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has worked on, not one of these federal intrusions was discovered by the federal government. He also highlighted the bipartisan report he issued in 2019 as then Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations warning of vulnerabilities at federal agencies to cyberattacks and his subsequent lack of surprise that three of the agencies highlighted in the report, including the Department of Homeland Security, were hacked in the SolarWinds attack.
A transcript of his opening statement can be found here.
Portman, Brown Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Increase Health Care Access for Children
Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), today introduced the bipartisan Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act to help families access life-saving care for children with complex medical conditions. The legislation aims to facilitate access to care while retaining program safeguards and reducing regulatory burdens on providers. Companion legislation was also introduced in the House of Representatives by Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA).
“The last thing that families should have to worry about when seeking care for their kids is whether red tape will prohibit or deter an out-of-state provider from taking their Medicaid coverage, just because they’ve chosen to seek the best possible care regardless of location. In Ohio, we’re blessed to have world-class children’s hospitals that care for kids from across the country, but are oftentimes slowed down by these regulatory hurdles. We must do more to support families and kids, and I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help streamline these processes and correct these mistakes,” said Portman.
Portman Presses CISA Acting Director on Need for Single Point of Accountability for Federal Cybersecurity
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, pressed Brandon Wales, Acting Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) on the need for a single point of accountability for federal cybersecurity. The hearing today followed up on last year’s SolarWinds hack and subsequent breaches that compromised the information technology systems of critical federal agencies, private companies, and several state and local governments. Portman highlighted the most recent Colonial Pipeline attack and noted these cyberattacks can have a real, demonstrable impact on the economy and national security. Portman pointed out that despite increased funding for cybersecurity and the bipartisan legislation the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has worked on, none of the major cyberattacks on federal entities in the last six months were discovered by the federal government.
In addition, Portman urged Wales to provide Congress with prompt notification of these cyberattacks to inform legislation, ensure proper oversight, and help agencies mitigate these attacks. Portman highlighted a recent news report from the Associated Press detailing the scope of the SolarWinds attack at DHS—including information not yet provided to Congress. In response, Senator Portman and Gary Peters (D-MI), sent a letter to CISA requesting additional information and documents regarding the SolarWinds hack. Portman secured a commitment from Wales to provide the requested documents within two weeks.
Excerpts of Senator Portman’s questioning can be found here and videos can be found here and here.
On Senate Floor, Portman Recognizes National Police Week, Urges Permanent Scheduling Solution for Fentanyl-related Substances
On the Senate floor, in honor of National Police Week, Senator Portman paid tribute to the men and women of law enforcement who risk their own safety in dedication to justice and a sense of duty to protecting those in need every day.
Portman urged Congress to support the important mission of law enforcement by working together on bipartisan legislation that helps in their work, which is why he called for the passage of his Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act to permanently schedule illicitly manufactured and deadly fentanyl-related substances. The temporary ban on fentanyl-related substances that was set to expire on May 6 was extended, but only for another five months. While Portman supported the extension, he believes a permanent solution is critical to ensuring law enforcement can continue to protect our communities by bringing criminal actions against individuals who manufacture, distribute, or handle these deadly drugs.
A transcript of his remarks is here and a video can be found here:
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Passes Portman, Murphy, Graham, Brown, Stabenow “Buy American” Bill to Improve Transparency & Support U.S. Manufacturing Jobs
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Chris Murphy (D-CT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) applauded the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing their bipartisan BuyAmerican.gov Act, legislation that will establish a centralized online hub to increase transparency and ensure federal agencies prioritize the purchase of American-made goods in compliance with existing law. Under current law, federal agencies may use domestic content waivers to Buy American laws to purchase goods or services from foreign companies only in certain circumstances: for example, when an American-made good is unavailable or will significantly increase the cost of a product. However, there is currently no easily accessible government-wide system tracking the use and abuse of these waivers by federal agencies.
The bipartisan legislation will direct the General Services Administration to establish a central, publicly available website, at the link currently known as BuyAmerican.gov, to collect and display information about each requested waiver to Buy American laws. This website will allow manufacturers and other interested parties to identify contract opportunities and hold federal agencies accountable for abusing Buy American waivers. The measure also will give manufacturers the chance to challenge pending waivers sought by federal agencies. President Biden’s recent Buy American executive order proposes a website for the same purpose. The legislation now awaits action before the full Senate.
“We must do everything we can to protect and maximize American jobs, and that starts by ensuring that our tax dollars aren’t used to create jobs overseas. I’m pleased that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed this legislation and agreed with President Biden and me about the need for a website to better identify contracting opportunities American manufacturers,” said Portman. “By improving transparency, the BuyAmerican.gov Act will encourage federal agencies to support American workers and American jobs by faithfully complying with Buy American laws. This is a bipartisan bill that is needed now to help support American jobs, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this common-sense legislation when it comes before the full Senate.”
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Passes Portman, Peters Bipartisan Make PPE in America Act
Senators Rob Portman and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, applauded the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing their bipartisan legislation that will strengthen efforts to onshore production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States by requiring federal agencies to issue long-term contracts for American-made PPE. Reshoring production will ensure American workers, health care professionals, and more have the PPE they need as the economy continues to reopen. Domestic production of PPE supplies also will create American manufacturing jobs and ensure that America is better prepared for the next pandemic.
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it evident that the American people should not have to rely so heavily on foreign countries for personal protective equipment, and that’s why we must bring PPE production back to our shores. I’m pleased that the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed the Make PPE In America Act this morning,” said Senator Portman, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “When I talk to PPE manufacturers about re-shoring this production to America, the number one thing I hear about is the need for long-term contracts. Multi-year contracts give producers the certainty to know that their investment in the United States will be worth it because the government will be there to buy the PPE they produce. By re-shoring production of PPE, we can continue to support a safe and effective reopening of our schools, workplaces, and the economy.”
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Passes Portman, Brown ‘Buy America’ Provisions For Taxpayer-Funded Infrastructure Projects
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that their bipartisan legislation – the Build America, Buy America Act – to apply Buy America rules to all taxpayer-funded infrastructure and public works projects, has passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Currently, Buy America rules have not been fully implemented with respect to all federal programs that provide grants for the construction of infrastructure. When Chinese- or Russian- made steel and other products are used instead of American products, it steals jobs from U.S. workers.
Their legislation would implement Buy America rules across the board – ensuring that American taxpayer dollars are used to buy American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products for any federally funded infrastructure projects. Portman and Brown introduced the bill with Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Mike Braun (R-IN), and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) who is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“I’m proud to lead this legislation with Senator Brown and applaud the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing it today. When the government spends American taxpayer money on an infrastructure project, it’s common sense that the materials used in that project should be purchased from those same taxpayers making those materials in the United States. We have the world’s best workers making the best materials we need right here at home and I hope my colleagues will support this legislation when it comes before the full Senate,” said Senator Portman, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Passes Portman, Peters Bipartisan Legislation to Create Significant Cyber Incident Declaration for Major Cyber-Attacks
Legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, to provide additional resources and better coordination for serious cyber-attacks or breaches that risk the safety and security of Americans has advanced in the Senate. The legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The legislation would help improve the federal response to cyber breaches, such as the recent attack against the Colonial Pipeline, which controls fuel supply to most of the East Coast. The bill establishes a Cyber Response and Recovery Fund for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to provide direct support to public or private entities as they respond to and recover from significant cyber-attacks and breaches, following a declaration of a significant incident by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
“Our nation is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks every day, as the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack showed. Cyberattacks are getting worse and more frequent while the government and critical infrastructure are more dependent on information technology,” said Senator Portman. “Our legislation passed by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will provide an important emergency resource when major cyberattacks occur and overwhelm the organizations attacked.”
Portman, Carper, Rubio Applaud Committee Passage of Bipartisan Safeguarding American Innovation Act to Stop Theft of U.S. Research & Intellectual Property by Global Competitors
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Tom Carper (D-DE), and Marco Rubio (R-FL), applauded the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing the Safeguarding American Innovation Act, bipartisan legislation to help stop foreign governments, particularly China, from stealing American taxpayer-funded research and intellectual property. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Risch (R-ID), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are cosponsors of the legislation.
Portman and Carper, as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), led a year-long investigation into this issue culminating in a bipartisan report and hearing that detailed how American taxpayers have been unwittingly funding the rise of China’s military and economy over the last two decades while federal agencies have done little to stop it. Starting in the late 1990s through its “talent recruitment programs,” China began recruiting U.S.-based scientists and researchers to transfer U.S. taxpayer-funded IP for China’s economic and military gain. This legislation will ensure that the federal government is taking decisive action to safeguard American innovation.
This legislation also addresses the findings of PSI’s February 2019 report, which highlighted the Department of Education’s lack of enforcement of foreign gift reporting at U.S. colleges and universities, which the department admitted was “historically lax.” This bill gives the department increased authority to enforce foreign gift reporting rules and lowers the reporting threshold to increase transparency and prevent foreign interference on U.S. campuses.
“The Endless Frontier Act makes a more than $100 billion investment in national security and technological innovation at the National Science Foundation (NSF), so we must include guardrails to ensure that the American taxpayer does not unwittingly fuel the rise of China. We cannot continue to allow our adversaries to steal taxpayer-funded research and innovation to the detriment of hard-working Americans. That’s why I applaud my colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing the bipartisan Safeguarding American Innovation Act, which takes decisive action to safeguard taxpayer-funded research and hold countries like China accountable for their actions,” said Portman. “For nearly two decades, as we detailed in the November 2019 PSI report, the federal government has been asleep at the wheel while foreign governments have exploited the openness of our education system and bought access and influence on our school campuses. This bill will help us stop foreign governments from stealing our research and innovation so that American taxpayer-funded research will be used to level the playing to create jobs for hard-working Americans. Once the Safeguarding American Innovation Act is included in the Endless Frontier Act, this legislative body will be doing everything possible to make sure that American taxpayer investments in scientific innovation benefit hard-working Americans, not our global competitors.”
Portman Statement on April 2021 CBP Operational Data Showing Worst Migrant Crisis in More Than Two Decades
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released operational statistics for April 2021 regarding the crisis at our southern border:
“I am very concerned that CBP reported more than 178,000 total encounters at the border in April, the highest amount in more than two decades. This includes more than 50,000 migrant family members, 50 times more than in April 2020; more than 100,000 single adult migrants, seven times more than last year; and more than 17,000 unaccompanied children, the second-highest monthly total since Border Patrol began counting unaccompanied children. March 2021 had the highest monthly total on record with more than 18,000 unaccompanied children encountered at the border.
“The Biden administration’s border crisis of surging numbers of unlawful migrants is a direct result of its decision to dismantle the previous administration’s policies with no consideration of the ramifications. This situation is unacceptable and unsustainable. I look forward to Secretary Mayorkas’ testimony on the crisis at our border at tomorrow’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing and the opportunity to ask whether the Biden administration is removing critical protections for unaccompanied children in an effort to expedite processing and place them with sponsors, and about reports of sexual abuse of children at HHS holding facilities.”
At Finance Hearing, Portman Questions USTR Katherine Tai on Using Trade to Get Tough on China
During a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman questioned U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on World Trade Organization (WTO) reform and the status of the U.S.-UK trade agreement negotiations. Pursuing sector-specific agreements with American allies at the WTO and comprehensive agreement with the UK would open markets for Made in America products and put pressure on China.
Portman previewed his proposal for sector-specific agreements with allies earlier this year, when he and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing support for U.S. leadership at the WTO while also calling for reform to parts of the institution.
Portman is the co-chair and co-founder of the Senate UK Trade Caucus with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and has been a leading supporter of a trade agreement between the two nations.
Excerpts of Senator Portman’s questioning can be found here and video can be found here.
Portman, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Hospital-Based Nursing Schools from Potential Funding Clawbacks During Global Pandemic
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced new legislation during National Nurses Week to make a technical correction to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) program that supports the training of nurses and other allied health professionals at hospital-based nursing schools across the country. Due to a technical glitch in how CMS administered this program in the past, many hospital-based nursing schools are being put on notice that they may be required to send millions of dollars back to CMS. This clawback of federal funding could not come at a worse time, as hospitals and institutions of higher education have faced significant financial challenges over the past year in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The threat of recoupment could curtail their programs or cause schools to shut down entirely, limiting our nursing workforce capacity for the future. The Technical Reset to Advance the Instruction of Nurses (TRAIN) Act would ensure hospital-based nursing schools that received funding support from CMS in the past can keep those resources and put them toward training the next generation of nurses without the threat of recoupment.
“Ohio is home to multiple hospital-based nursing schools, schools that provide a unique education setting focused on work-centric learning. Due to a decade-long oversight by CMS, these schools have received overpayments of graduate medical education payments, through no fault of their own,” said Portman. “Having to repay these overpayments would be a substantial burden, especially in the middle of a pandemic when hospitals and colleges have both taken financial hits, and I urge Congress to pass this bipartisan bill to avoid the impending steep cuts in payments to hospital-based nursing schools.”
Portman, Heinrich Announce Bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Bills To Boost AI-Ready National Security Personnel, Increase Governmental Transparency
Senators Rob Portman and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), co-founders of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, are announcing two bipartisan pieces of legislation to strengthen the U.S. government’s artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, support long-term investments in AI ethics and safety research, as well as increase governmental AI transparency.
Senators Portman and Heinrich will be introducing the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Capabilities and Transparency (AICT) Act. The AICT Act would implement recommendations of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s (NSCAI) final report. Congress established the NSCAI through the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in order to consider the methods and means necessary to advance the development and improve the government’s use of AI and related technology.
“When Congress created the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence it was with the expectation that the Commission provide Congress will the ideas to keep the United States as the world’s AI leader. I am pleased to say that the Commission has delivered,” said Portman. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass these bills so that we can continue to implement the good ideas that the Commission has spent so long developing. Ensuring that AI is trustworthy and transparent, and that our warfighters are skilled in the nuances of emerging technology are common sense priorities.”
In Advance of Tax Day, Portman Cautions against President Biden’s Tax Hikes on Senate Floor
On the Senate floor, Portman joined his colleagues in speaking out against the Biden administration’s proposed tax hikes ahead of Tax Day next Monday, May 17. Portman discussed how the 2017 tax reforms helped the U.S. economy achieve record growth and competitiveness before the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the massive tax hikes the administration proposes would undo those reforms and hinder U.S. competitiveness in the global economy.
Under the Biden plan, the combined federal and state corporate tax rate would go from 25.8 percent — already above the average rate of 23.4 percent for other developed countries — to 32.8 percent, the highest rate in the developed world. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and others have found that the brunt of these tax hikes would be borne by workers in the form of lower wages and lost jobs. Portman urged the Biden administration not to undermine American competitiveness and instead focus on getting back to the pre-COVID opportunity economy.
A transcript of his remarks is here and a video can be found here:
On Fox News, Portman Discusses U.S. Economy, Negative Impact of COVID-19 Enhanced Unemployment Benefits on Hiring
This afternoon on Fox News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto, Senator Portman discussed last week’s disappointing jobs report, the record number of job openings in our economy, and the importance of encouraging people to return to work rather than staying on the COVID-19 enhanced unemployment benefits.
The transcript of the interview can be found here and you can watch the interview here.
On PBS’ NewsHour, Portman Discusses Ongoing Infrastructure Negotiations & State of the U.S. Economy
This evening on PBS’ NewsHour, Senator Portman discussed President Biden’s $2.7 trillion infrastructure plan and the negative implications of the massive tax hikes it imposes. Portman noted that he supports improving America’s aging roads, bridges, ports, and other infrastructure, but that more than $2 trillion of President Biden’s proposal funds policy priorities that are a far cry from what has ever been considered infrastructure.
Furthermore, Portman addressed the negative impact of President Biden’s proposed tax hikes, which would raise the combined federal and state corporate tax rate from 25.8 percent — already above the average rate of 23.4 percent for other developed countries — to 32.8 percent, the highest rate in the developed world.
A transcript of his remarks is here and a video can be found here:
Thursday, May 13, 2021
During National Police Week, Portman Joins Colleagues in Introducing Back the Blue Act Legislation
Portman joined his Senate colleagues in introducing the Back the Blue Act, which would increase the penalties for criminals who intentionally target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.
“Police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, and it’s a profession that continues to become more dangerous,” said Portman. “Criminals who seek to do our officers harm must be brought to justice. The Back the Blue Act makes it clear that, if you try to kill a cop, you will pay a very high price. I believe that will make criminals think twice before they commit such a cowardly act, and that will keep our police officers safer.”
Portman: We Must Ensure Vulnerable Unaccompanied Children Are Not Further Endangered by the Policy Choices Being Made in Washington, DC
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, delivered an opening statement at a hearing with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, to examine the steps that DHS is taking to address the crisis of unaccompanied children at the southern border. Senator Portman highlighted that the Border Patrol agents are overwhelmed by the increasing number of children that are coming to the southern border, putting these vulnerable children at risk of human trafficking and abuse.
Yesterday, Ranking Member Portman issued a statement after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released operational statistics that showed that the United States is experiencing the worst migrant crisis in more than two decades. According to CBP’s operational statistics, not only were there more than 178,000 total encounters at the border in April, but April 2021 had more than 17,000 encounters of unaccompanied children at the southern border, the second-highest monthly total since Border Patrol began counting unaccompanied children, the highest being just last month in March 2021. Portman recently traveled to the southern border in El Paso, Texas, with Secretary Mayorkas, where he witnessed firsthand the ongoing migrant and unaccompanied children crisis, including situations where children were held in close quarters and unable to adhere to CDC distancing guidelines.
Senator Portman has made it clear that the Biden administration’s border crisis of unaccompanied children and surging migrant numbers is a direct result of its dismantling of the previous administration’s policies with no consideration of the ramifications of removing those policies and how it would incentivize migration. Portman urged the administration to change course soon and put in place smart policies that address the need for legal and orderly processes for migration and reduce the pull factors that encourage these migrant and young children to make the treacherous journey north, while also securing our borders and protecting the American people.
A transcript of his opening statement can be found here and a video can be found here.
Portman, Schatz, Rounds, Coons Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Education Benefits for Veterans
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Student Veterans Transparency and Protection Act. The bipartisan legislation would improve veterans’ access to information about higher education institutions and allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to restore benefits that veterans use at schools subject to civil enforcement actions.
In addition, the bill requires VA to provide veterans up-to-date student outcome and financial information for all eligible institutions through its G.I. Bill Comparison Tool. It also requires all VA educational, vocational, and transition assistance counselors to be trained in using this tool to help veterans make the best choices about where to use their education benefits.
“Veterans and servicemembers in Ohio, and across the country, deserve to use the educational benefits they’ve worked so hard to secure – not have them taken by bad actors,” said Senator Portman. “This bipartisan legislation would give the beneficiaries of these important educational assistance benefits the tools they need to obtain timely and accurate information about higher learning institutions, including those with poor outcomes.”
Portman, Peters Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Reentry Opportunities Through Skills Trainings & Apprenticeships
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, pressed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, on the origins of the Biden administration’s current unaccompanied children crisis at the southern border. As Ranking Member Portman highlighted in his questioning and has consistently made clear, the current crisis at the southern border is a direct result of its dismantling of the Trump administration’s policies with no consideration of the ramifications of removing those policies and how it would incentivize migration.
Portman pointed out that since the Biden administration came into office, the numbers of unaccompanied children and all unlawful migrants have surged past the 2019 records, while ICE deportations of migrants who do not receive asylum are at historic lows, which encourages more unlawful migrants to come to the southern border. Portman and Secretary Mayorkas also discussed the Central American Minor (CAM) program and Portman pointed out that there were fewer than 5,000 children who went through CAM over a three year period, which is roughly the number of unaccompanied minors coming into the United States every week now. Portman stated that while he supports the CAM program, it would not significantly impact the current crisis, and the Biden administration needs to work in a bipartisan manner to reduce the pull factors that encourage these migrant and young children to make the treacherous journey north, while also securing our border and protecting the American people.
A transcript of the exchange can be found here and videos can be found here.
Portman, Stabenow Introduce HEALTH for MOM Act to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes for Pregnant Women
Senators Rob Portman and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Harnessing Effective and Appropriate Long Term Health for Moms on Medicaid (HEALTH for MOM) Act – legislation designed to improve maternal health outcomes among pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid by providing a state option for providers to enroll in a “pregnancy medical home,” a team of health care professionals operating for the purposes of providing the participating woman with coordinated care services.
Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist among maternal mortality rates in the United States with rates (per 100,00 live births) ranging from 37.1 deaths for non-Hispanic Black women, 14.7 deaths for non-Hispanic white women, and 11.8 deaths for Hispanic women. Pregnancy medical homes have a track record of improving access to care for pregnant women throughout pregnancy and of reducing adverse events like hospitalizations for pregnant women and neonatal complications, and the HEALTH for MOM Act would help standardize the means for Medicaid to pay for and support such models.
“Every year, nearly 700 women die in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications with a majority of those deaths disproportionately affecting women of color. This is unacceptable,” said Senator Portman. “Our legislation will work to address this devastating issue by providing expectant mothers with the option to enroll in a pregnancy medical home where they can be taken care of by a team of health care professionals.”
Portman, Heinrich Urge National Science Foundation To Prioritize Safety and Ethics in Artificial Intelligence Research, Innovation
Senators Rob Portman and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the co-founders of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, sent a letter to Director Sethuraman Panchanathan of the National Science Foundation (NSF), calling on him to ensure that the U.S. remains a leader on artificial intelligence (AI) by establishing AI institutes dedicated to ethics and safety, ensuring AI pursuits are transparent, reliable, and in line with American values.
The funding for the NSF complements provisions in the groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act (AI-IA) introduced by Senators Portman and Heinrich. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 included a modified version of the AI-IA that strengthens U.S. leadership in AI research and development and directs the NSF with examining how the present and future U.S. workforce can better prepare for and integrate AI systems.
“AI leadership by the United States is only possible if AI research, innovation, and use is rooted in American values. Central to these values are notions of ethics and safety. If our country is to reap the benefits of AI at scale, we must ensure that citizens and users — human people — have the trust and confidence in AI systems to actually deploy them. In short, our AI systems must do what we want them to do,” the senators wrote.
The senators continued, “As you work to stand up additional AI Institutes, we ask that you prioritize research on safety and ethics. Broadly, AI safety refers to technical efforts to improve AI systems in order to reduce their dangers, and AI ethics refers to quantitative analysis of AI systems to address matters ranging from fairness to potential discrimination. While we understand that NSF incorporates concepts of ethics and safety across all of the thematic areas of its AI research, establishing two new themes dedicated to ethics and safety would help ensure that innovations in AI ethics and safety were pursued for their own ends rather than being merely best practices for different use cases. Ideally, we hope adding safety and ethics to NSF’s AI research themes leads to the creation of AI Research Institutes focused on these topics.”
Senators Portman and Heinrich are building off of recent successes, like the AI-IA, with plans to introduce legislation that will increase the federal government’s AI capabilities by improving talent recruitment and enabling agencies to adopt new AI technology more quickly. The upcoming legislation will promote more robust transparency and accountability for the government’s AI systems while increasing AI and quantitative training for senior uniformed and civilian leaders.
Full text of the letter can be found here.
Ohio Examples Highlight How COVID-19 Expanded Unemployment Benefits Are Undermining Hiring
Ohio announced today that it is joining at least 14 other states in dropping enhanced unemployment benefits (UI), which are an incentive not to rejoin the workforce and have undermined employers’ efforts to hire workers. April’s jobs report was disappointing with only 266,000 jobs added, which is a quarter of what most economists predicted. But the problem isn’t a lack of jobs. In fact, even though the economy has 9.8 million people unemployed, there are 8.1 million job openings, the highest in history. Yet the Biden administration continues to insist on paying the COVID-19 enhanced unemployment benefits (UI). In addition to Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming have opted out of paying the additional $300 per week in enhanced UI benefits in order to incentivize a return to work.
Here is a sampling of Ohio media reports quoting business owners on the struggle to get workers back in the labor force and how it’s affecting their businesses.
On Senate Floor, Portman Urges End to Federal Unemployment Supplement as Economy Reopens
On the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Rob Portman discussed the need to end the federal unemployment supplement, after a disappointing April jobs report that saw only 266,000 jobs added, a quarter of what most economists predicted. This is despite a record 8.1 million job openings at the end of March, the most in history. Portman argued that while we should work to address the skills gap, continue to vaccinate more Americans, and reopen schools to help people get back to work and into jobs, the primary barrier is the $300 per week federal unemployment insurance (UI) supplement that, when combined with the state unemployment benefits, has created a situation where more than 40 percent of workers can make more by not working than they would by working.
Portman highlighted numerous examples of businesses in Ohio and across the country that are offering generous hiring bonuses to staff up as they see heavy demand, yet cannot fill the positions they need to stay open, resulting in some businesses that survived COVID-19 being forced to close. He noted how more than 30 states have started re-implementing work-search requirements for individuals to remain eligible for UI, including Ohio, which along with at least 14 other states has also begun opting out of the federal UI supplement. Portman urged the Biden administration to end this generous federal UI supplement so that people can get back to work nationwide and help the economy recover.
A transcript of his remarks is here and a video can be found here:
Friday, May 14, 2021
Portman Statement on Former Ohio State Professor and Chinese “Thousand Talents” Member Sentencing for Grant Fraud
Senator Rob Portman, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Vipal J. Patel, and FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman announced that Song Guo Zheng, a former Ohio State professor, was sentenced to 37 months in prison to making false statements to federal authorities related to his affiliation with China’s Thousand Talents Program while receiving taxpayer-funded grants. Zheng was also ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution to the National Institutes of Health and $413,000 to The Ohio State University. Zheng was arrested in May 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska boarding a chartered flight to China.
Portman and Senator Tom Carper, as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), led a year-long investigation into China’s talent recruitment programs like the Thousand Talents Program, culminating in a bipartisan report and hearing in 2019 that detailed how American taxpayers have been unwittingly funding the rise of China’s military and economy over the last two decades while federal agencies have done little to stop it. Starting in the late 1990s through its “talent recruitment programs,” China began recruiting U.S.-based scientists and researchers to transfer U.S. taxpayer-funded IP for China’s military and economic gain. Portman’s bipartisan Safeguarding American Innovation Act to stop theft of U.S. taxpayer-funded research and intellectual property by global competitors passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee earlier this week.
“I’m pleased that our bipartisan Subcommittee investigation in 2019 spurred action by federal law enforcement to hold China and its Thousand Talents Program members accountable and ensure that justice is served. I commend Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Vipal J. Patel, and the FBI for their work to help protect taxpayer-funded academic innovation and research from theft by foreign governments like China. This case highlights how the U.S. and our academic institutions, including our own The Ohio State University, are high-value targets for China’s talent recruitment efforts given our innovative taxpayer-funded research. We cannot let the American taxpayer continue to fund the rise of our global competitors to the detriment of hard-working Americans. Dr. Zheng is a clear example of China’s continued attempts to steal our taxpayer-funded research. This harms our important academic institutions, federal grant-making agencies, and American businesses.
“I am encouraged by The Ohio State University’s cooperation with the DOJ and the FBI to protect against exploitation of our research enterprise. This case shows that it’s time to pass my Safeguarding American Innovation Act to help stop foreign governments from stealing our research and innovation so that American taxpayer-funded research will be used to level the playing to create jobs for hard-working Americans. China’s ongoing theft of America’s research and innovation must stop.”
Portman, Colleagues Announce “Kids to Parks Day” Resolution
Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Richard Burr (R-NC), today announced their bipartisan resolution that encourages children to get outdoors and promote healthy outdoor recreation by designating May 15, 2021 “National Kids to Parks Day.”
First celebrated by the National Park Trust in 2011, the 11th annual “Kids to Parks Day” marks the beginning of a summer-long series of events at state parks countrywide that promote outdoor recreation and active, healthy living.
“It is important that our younger generations get out and experience the great outdoors, and as a frequent visitor to our national parks myself, I encourage kids from all across in Ohio to responsibly visit and learn about these national treasures on Kids to Parks Day,” said Portman. “I am proud to support the Kids to Parks Day Resolution so that more young people and their families may visit our national parks.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
Spring is a time of new beginnings, so it is a fitting time to hold up those who have started new lives of meaning and purpose after being convicted of a crime and serving their time.
Helping formerly incarcerated individuals overcome their past mistakes and reenter society as productive citizens makes sense for everyone: those formerly incarcerated and their families, neighbors who will live in safer communities, law enforcement and the taxpayer.
We know that 95 percent of people who are incarcerated will be released, and more than half of the people released from prison each year are arrested again within three years. We need to break that cycle of recidivism by reconnecting them with their communities, and one of the best ways we can do that is through helping them gain the skills they need to reenter the workforce and providing treatment for substance-abuse and middle health issues.
As a country, we have come a long way on this issue over the past decade or so. More than 10 years ago, I co-authored bipartisan legislation called the Second Chance Act, which helps people get back on their feet through supporting state and local reentry programs. A few years ago, I joined my colleague, Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont to renew and strengthen the Second Chance Act as part of the First Step Act, including adding nonprofit organizations as eligible grant recipients and requiring rigorous audits to ensure that federal dollars are spent wisely.
Since 2009, more than 800 Second Chance Act grant awards have been made, and last year we secured $100 million in funding — a record. I have seen the results of the Second Chance Act firsthand at reentry programs across Ohio, including great northwest Ohio nonprofits like Goodwill Industries in Toledo. Recently, we had a great dialogue with the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and Ron and Cathy Tijerina from the RIDGE Project about how the program has helped them support Second Chance families in Northwest Ohio.
Our mission to help those who want a second chance continues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked to ensure that our Second Chance citizens were not forgotten. For example, we found out that the popular Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses affected by the pandemic, had barriers for small business owners who had unrelated felony records. This was brought to my attention by a Second Chance small business owner in Ohio named Troy Parker. Troy took all the right steps after leaving the criminal justice system, starting his own successful cleaning business and hiring other second chance employees. His cleaning business got hit hard by COVID-19, but because of his past criminal record, he could not receive this much-needed relief. When Troy told us his situation, we worked with the Treasury Department to change the rules to allow for folks like him to get a loan and help keep the lights on through this unprecedented time.
Looking ahead, there is still more work for us to do to reduce recidivism rates and allow all Americans to overcome their past mistakes.
Right now, I am working to pass bipartisan legislation called the Reentry Employment Opportunities Act to do just that. Along with my colleague, Democrat Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, I introduced this legislation to make permanent the Labor Department’s Reentry Employment Opportunities grant program, which currently exists as a pilot program authorized under Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The REO program supports national, regional, and local skills training organizations that provide outstanding opportunities for returning citizens to get skills that will help them find both good-paying jobs and the stability and purpose that comes from a career.
The REO program has been successful, but right now it does not have a dedicated funding stream to support its important mission. I believe it’s critical we make the REO program permanent so that more folks reentering society after time in the justice system can get the helping hand they need to enter the workforce and break the cycle of recidivism. I will continue to work in Washington to get this important legislation passed.
I’m proud to be a partner in Washington for Ohioans and all Americans looking to get a Second Chance, turn their lives around, and achieve their God-given potential.
Portman introduces Reentry Employment Opportunities Act
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) recently introduced the Reentry Employment Opportunities Act to codify into law the U.S. Department of Labor’s Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) Program, which supports national, regional and local organizations that administer skills training programs.
“Providing reentry support services to vulnerable youth and young adults at risk of recidivism is vital to ensuring we give them a second chance at living up to their God-given potential,” said Sen. Portman, who on May 10 cosponsored S. 1534 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
Currently, the REO program operates as a pilot program authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, meaning it does not have a dedicated funding stream and is funded through a piecemeal approach, according to information provided by Sen. Portman’s office, which said that S. 1534 would codify the REO program into law.
Sen. Portman noted that S. 1534 “builds on my previous work to ensure that those reentering society have access to the skills training and jobs necessary to contribute to their communities.”
The bill has been endorsed by the National Action Network, the National Youth Employment Coalition, #Cut50, the Center for Law and Social Policy, Rights4Girls, and the Safer Foundation.
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