Rob’s Rundown: Week of February 1 – February 5, 2021
This week, Senator Portman worked to try and bring both parties together around another bipartisan COVID relief package. He started the week on Sunday by joining Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union to discuss the importance of the Biden Administration working on a bipartisan basis with Congress to pass targeted COVID-19 relief. He also discussed the need to hold all members of Congress accountable for violent rhetoric.
On Monday, Portman and nine of his Republican colleagues unveiled their $618 billion COVID-19 relief proposal, which matches the Biden plan’s funding for the essential health care response to COVID-19, but takes a more targeted approach to the economic crisis by getting needed relief to the individuals, families, and small businesses that need it the most. That evening, the 10 lawmakers met with President Biden and Vice President Harris in the Oval Office to discuss their targeted relief proposal and urge bipartisan negotiation on any future COVID-19 legislation.
On Tuesday, Portman delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling on the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats to work with Republicans on the next COVID-19 relief package. Portman noted that all five previous COVID-19 rescue packages were negotiated and passed through Congress on a bipartisan basis. He expressed concern that using a process known as reconciliation to move this new bill through the Senate by a simple majority and with no Republican support would run counter to President Biden’s stated goal of uniting the country.
Finally, the Senate voted unanimously Thursday night to approve Portman’s amendment to the budget resolution to support vaccine administration and fund a science-driven public advocacy campaign promoting the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.
For a more detailed look at Senator Portman’s week, please see the following:
Sunday, January 31, 2021
Portman Joins Group of 10 Republican Senators in Outlining Targeted COVID-19 Relief Proposal, Request Meeting with President Biden
Portman joined a group of 10 Republican Senators in writing to President Biden to propose a targeted COVID-19 relief proposal that they believe is capable of garnering bipartisan support. The group also requested a meeting with the President to discuss the proposal in detail.
The letter’s signatories also include Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Todd Young (R-IN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
“In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,” the Senators wrote to the President. “Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support. We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.”
The Senators plan to unveil the details of their proposal on Monday, February 1. Full text of the letter can be found here.
On CNN’s State of the Union, Senator Portman Calls for Biden Administration to Work with Congress on Targeted COVID-19 Relief
This morning on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, Senator Portman discussed the importance of the Biden Administration working on a bipartisan basis with Congress to pass targeted COVID-19 relief. Earlier this morning, Senator Portman and nine other Republican senators sent a letter to President Biden requesting a meeting to discuss a targeted COVID-19 relief proposal that they believe is capable of garnering bipartisan support.
Portman also discussed the upcoming impeachment trial, the Senate rules on reconciliation, his decision to not seek another six-year term in the United States Senate when his current term expires in 2022, and the need to hold all members of Congress accountable for violent rhetoric.
Excerpts of the interview can be found here and a video can be found here.
Portman, Brown Honor Judge Dan Polster as He Elects to Take Senior Status
Senators Portman and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) congratulated Judge Dan Polster, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, as he elects to take senior status. First nominated by President Clinton in 1997, Polster oversaw several cases involving the ongoing addiction crisis in Ohio, specifically cases involving local communities hit hard by opioid addiction and seeking to hold certain opioid manufacturers and distributors financially accountable for their roles in the addiction crisis facing the state. Polster also served as a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice from 1976 to 1982, and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Ohio from 1982 to 1998.
“Judge Polster has served the Northern District of Ohio with distinction during his 16 years with the US Attorney’s office and his 22 years of service on the federal bench,” said Portman. “I’m grateful for his willingness to serve our country, and I know he will continue to be a leader for Northern Ohio in the years ahead.”
Portman, Brown Honor Judge James Gwin as He Elects to Take Senior Status
Senators Portman and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) congratulated Judge James Gwin, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, as he elects to take senior status. Prior to joining the federal bench, Judge Gwin served as a Judge on the Stark County Common Pleas Court.
“Judge Gwin has served the Northern District of Ohio with distinction,” said Portman. “I’m grateful for his willingness to serve our country, and I know he will continue to be a leader for Northern Ohio in the years ahead.”
Portman Joins Group of 10 Republican Senators in Accepting President Biden’s Invitation to Discuss COVID-19 Relief at White House
A group of 10 Republican Senators accepted an invitation from President Biden to come to the White House to discuss their targeted COVID-19 relief proposal.
“We appreciate the President’s quick response to our letter, and we are pleased to accept his invitation to the White House tomorrow afternoon to discuss the path forward for the sixth bipartisan COVID-19 relief package,” said the ten Senators in a joint statement.
Monday, February 1, 2021
Portman Joins Group of 10 Republican Senators to Announce Sixth Targeted COVID-19 Relief Proposal
Portman joined the group of 10 Republican Senators in unveiling the details of their targeted COVID-19 relief proposal. At the President’s invitation, the group will meet with President Biden this afternoon at the White House to discuss the proposal in further detail.
“Mr. President, we recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of the COVID-19 crisis,” said the Senators. “We share many of your priorities, and our plan includes: increasing funding for the production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine; providing economic relief for Americans with the greatest need; extending enhanced federal unemployment benefits; providing nutrition assistance to help struggling families; providing additional assistance for our small businesses; getting our children safely back to school and ensuring they can stay open; and increasing resources for child care, which is critical to getting Americans back to work. We look forward to discussing our proposal in detail with you this afternoon at the White House.”
Portman Joins Group of 10 Statement on Meeting with President Biden
Following their more than two-hour meeting with President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss their targeted COVID-19 relief proposal, the group of 10 Republican senators released this statement:
“It was an excellent meeting, and we are very appreciative that in his first official meeting in the Oval Office, President Biden chose to spend so much time with us discussing the response to the COVID-19 crisis. We presented our proposal to the President, and we had a very productive exchange of views,” said the senators. “On five previous occasions, Congress has demonstrated that we can come together to deliver COVID-19 relief for the American people. In the coming days, talks among our group, the Biden Administration, and other Senators will continue as we work in good faith on a sixth bipartisan package to help struggling families, get students back to school, assist our small businesses and their employees, provide relief for health care providers, and accelerate testing and vaccine programs.”
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Portman, Fischer, Lankford Introduce Bill to Reduce Regulatory Burden to Give Job Creators Freedom to Invest & Hire New Workers
Senators Portman, Deb Fischer (R-NE), and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act (UMATA). The bill will reduce excessive unfunded government mandates on job creators, giving them greater freedom to invest in their companies and hire new workers. When the federal government imposes unnecessary and burdensome regulations, it undermines employers’ ability to hire more workers, and makes it harder for American workers to find jobs. This legislation will free employers from stifling government mandates and help them create more jobs and compete globally. Representatives Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) are leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I have been proud to work to reduce the burden of unfunded mandates from the federal government on our society since 1995, when I sponsored the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act in the House. As we continue to face the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, reducing the regulatory burden on our employers is more important than ever, which is why I’m pleased to introduce the Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act to do just that,” said Portman. “This bill engages the public in finding creative, effective solutions that impose fewer burdens on state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as the private sector. More effective, efficient regulations will allow employers invest more in their companies, bolster our economic recovery, and help get Americans back to work. I urge my colleagues to join Senators Fischer, Lankford and me in supporting in this bill.”
Portman, Bipartisan Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Address Global Semiconductor Shortage, Mitigate Impacts to U.S. Auto Manufacturing
Senator and Senate Auto Caucus co-chair Portman and Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), co-chair of the Senate Auto Caucus, John Cornyn (R-TX), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Todd Young (R-IN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL),Tim Scott (R-SC), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) sent a letter to Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese urging him to work with Congress in addressing the global semiconductor shortage facing auto manufacturing.
“We write to express our concerns about the impact that the global shortage of automotive-grade semiconductor chips will have on auto manufacturing in the United States. This shortage threatens our post-pandemic economic recovery, the consequences of which stand to be especially acute in dominant auto manufacturing states like ours. We believe that the incoming administration can continue to play a helpful role in alleviating the worst impacts of the shortage on American workers, and we urge you to work with us to address the global semiconductor shortage,” the senators wrote. “All sectors of the economy need access to semiconductor chips, however we ask that the auto industry be recognized as the significant semiconductor consumer it is in any engagement. We also strongly urge you to support efforts to secure the necessary funding to swiftly implement the semiconductor-related provisions in the most recent National Defense Authorization Act, which would boost the production of semiconductor manufacturing and incent the domestic production of semiconductors in the future. While this is not an immediate fix, this engagement is also vital to maintain the competitive advantage of American auto manufacturing.”
The full letter can be found here.
On Senate Floor, Portman Calls for Good Faith Bipartisan Negotiations on Next COVID-19 Relief Package
On the Senate floor, Portman discussed how the Biden Administration needs to work with bipartisan members of Congress on the next COVID-19 relief package. As a member of the bipartisan group that wrote the framework for the last $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, Portman believes the Biden administration is taking the wrong approach with its new $1.9 trillion COVID-19 proposal, which was created with no input from Republicans. In contrast, all five previous COVID-19 rescue packages were negotiated and passed through Congress on a bipartisan basis. He expressed concern that using a process known as reconciliation to move this new bill through the Senate by a simple majority and with no Republican support would run counter to President Biden’s stated goal of uniting the country.
Portman also highlighted the $618 billion proposal he unveiled Sunday along with nine other Senate Republicans, which matches the Biden plan’s funding for the essential health care response to COVID-19, but takes a more targeted approach to the economic crisis by getting needed relief to the individuals, families, and small businesses that need it the most.
Finally, Portman expressed his appreciation for the two-hour meeting he and the other nine Republican senators had with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House yesterday to discuss their targeted COVID-19 relief proposal, and stated his hope that the Biden Administration will continue to pursue a bipartisan approach to COVID-19 relief.
A transcript of the speech can be found here and a video can be found here.
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Portman Praises $1.1 Million Federal Grant Awarded to the Miami Conservancy District
Portman praised the $1.1 million federal grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to the Miami Conservancy District, Dayton, Ohio, to protect the Old North Dayton area from flooding by upgrading the Greater Old North Dayton levee. This EDA grant, to be matched with $276,254 in local investment, is expected to retain 100 jobs and generate $5 million in private investment.
“This is great news for the Dayton region. I’m excited that the Conservancy, along with local investment, will be able to use these funds to protect the Old North Dayton area from flooding by upgrading the deteriorated concrete that armors the Greater Old North Dayton levee,” said Portman. “In doing so, lives, properties, jobs, and businesses will be safeguarded and protected.”
Portman Praises GM's $75 Million Investment in Toledo Transmission Plant
Portman praised GM’s announcement today that it will invest $75 million in the company’s Toledo Powertrain Plant. According to GM, the investment will increase the plant’s capacity to build 10-speed automatic transmissions that are used in GM’s award-winning full-size truck products including the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
“This is terrific news for Toledo and Northwest Ohio and is a testament to the tremendous work ethic of the people of Ohio,” said Portman. “I thank GM for their continued investment in our state and specifically Toledo. This investment will continue to help bolster the region’s economy while maintaining manufacturing jobs in Ohio.”
Portman, as Part of Group of 10, Responds to Administration’s COVID-19 Relief Proposal
Following their more than two-hour meeting with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House on Monday, the group of 10 Republican Senators sent a letter to President Biden responding to information shared by the President’s staff on the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Todd Young (R-IN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), who unveiled their COVID-19 relief compromise on Monday, provided feedback on the Administration’s proposal and identified both areas of agreement and needs that should be met through a more targeted approach.
“We appreciated your meeting with us on Monday to discuss how we can unite to pass a sixth bipartisan COVID-19 relief package to combat this persistent pandemic. To date, Congress has provided more than $4 trillion to address the urgent health, societal, and economic consequences of the pandemic, including $900 billion that was signed into law just five weeks ago,” the senators wrote. “We have received some information and data from your office on your request for $1.9 trillion for your American Rescue Plan, and we look forward to receiving additional information on your small business and tax proposals. In the spirit of continuing to have an open and productive dialogue, we want to provide feedback on the documents we received to date. We remain committed to working in a bipartisan fashion and hope that you will take into account our views as the legislative process moves forward.”
“Thank you for your consideration of our analysis and views,” the senators continued. “We look forward to receiving additional details on your $1.9 trillion request and to a further discussion of how best to assist the American people during this difficult time.”
Click here to read the Senators’ letter to President Biden.
Senate Unanimously Passes Portman-Cardin Budget Resolution Amendment to Fund COVID-19 Vaccine Public Awareness Campaign
The U.S. Senate approved an amendment offered by Senators Portman and Ben Cardin (D-MD) to the budget resolution to support vaccine administration and a public awareness campaign. The amendment passed unanimously after Portman delivered remarks in support of the amendment. The Senate continues to consider amendments to the Budget Resolution.
Senators Portman and Cardin introduced bipartisan legislation in December of last year to fund a science-driven public advocacy campaign to ensure that when an effective COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Americans are ready to get it. According to polling, just over half of Americans are willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine when it is authorized and made available to the public. This legislation would authorize necessary funding for a public awareness campaign on COVID-19 vaccine information through the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Grants would go to entities to start developing campaigns that target all Americans, and that would begin no later than 30 days after a vaccine is authorized.
A transcript of Senator Portman’s remarks can be found below and a video can be found here.
Friday, February 5, 2021
Senate Passes Portman Amendment to Ensure COVID-19 Spending Accountability & Transparency
Last night, the Senate passed an amendment authored by Portman to the budget resolution to require the administration to make public and keep the country informed of how much money has been spent on relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we consider this $2 trillion stimulus request from the administration, it’s important for the American people to know how their tax dollars are being spent to combat this pandemic,” said Portman. “This amendment will ensure Congress has the information it needs to direct tax dollars to areas with the biggest need. So far the CDC has only distributed $3 billion of the $8.75 billion appropriated for vaccine distribution, for example. Nearly $14 billion in previously appropriated funding for COVID-19 testing has still not been obligated. And according to the U.S. Department of Education, states have spent only $4.38 billion of the emergency $68 billion in K-12 funding provided last year. With greater transparency in this process, Congress can focus on ensuring the most urgent needs are met and this amendment will help us do just that.”
Portman, Brown Announce More Than $35 Million for Mental Health Services, Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Ohio
Senators Portman and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $32.4 million in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC-COVID) Expansion grants across Ohio. Ohio’s State Department of Mental Health and Addiction services also received $2.9 million to provide crisis intervention services, mental and substance use disorder treatment, and other related recovery supports for children and adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding expansion comes as part of a government funding measure Congress passed in December 2020.
“The social isolation and increased anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated many of the issues Ohioans face that can negatively impact mental health and substance use disorders,” said Portman. “I’m pleased that HHS has awarded more than $35 million in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Expansion grants across Ohio thanks to the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package Congress enacted in December, which was based on the framework I helped negotiate. This funding will help vulnerable individuals across Ohio gain access to the resources and care they need.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
Sen. Rob Portman hopes for coronavirus compromise with Biden administration
On the morning after he and nine other Republican senators spent two hours discussing coronavirus relief with Democratic President Joe Biden, Ohio’s Sen. Rob Portman wasn’t sure whether they’d be able to whittle down Biden’s $1.9 trillion plan into something closer to the $618 billion that he and his fellow Republicans have proposed.
Speaking to reporters the morning after the Monday meeting that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki described as “substantive and productive,” Portman said both sides want an almost identical amount of funding to address COVID-19, $160 billion, and both sides want $4 billion for behavioral health and addiction services.
But Portman argues that much of the extra stimulus money Biden wants isn’t necessary because organizations like the Congressional Budget Office predict that once the COVID 19 threat dissipates, the economy will recover to pre-pandemic levels by the middle of the year without further intervention. Noting that much of the $900 billion from the stimulus package signed into law on Dec. 27 hasn’t been spent yet, Portman says policymakers should examine whether the extra money is worth it at a time when the nation has the biggest budget deficit in history while its economy is improving and the vast majority of Americans are employed.
“My hope is that the administration will continue to not just meet with us but to work with us on a package that is a compromise between where Republicans are and where the administration is to get something done, as the President has said, but to do it in a targeted smart way, where we’re not wasting funds, where we’re focusing on the real problems,” said Portman.
Portman said 10 Republicans went to the White House to meet with Biden to show their party could deliver the 10 votes necessary to pass a bipartisan bill with 60 votes, instead of using a budget process called “reconciliation” that would let Democrats pass their own without any backing from Republicans. Biden told the group that he hopes his rescue plan can pass with bipartisan support, but views a reconciliation package as an option if that isn’t feasible.
Portman said Republicans believe that many of the provisions that Democrats have discussed including in the bill - like cybersecurity legislation and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour - have nothing to do with the budget and aren’t appropriate to include in a reconciliation package.
“My strong view is that taking a partisan approach, which is what the administration was considering and may still be considering, would be a big mistake for the American people,” said Portman. “It’s going to be much tougher to get that relief enacted, but it’s also bad for the country right now. It would start the administration off on a partisan foot rather than following what the President said in his inaugural address, which is that he wants to work in a bipartisan manner to help heal the country.”
Portman said Republicans would like the next round of stimulus checks to go only to individuals who make $50,000 a year or less, and couples who make $100,000, because they need the money and are more likely to spend it than families who make up $300,000, the limit under the Biden plan. The GOP plan would also extend the federal government’s $300 per week unemployment insurance supplement until June 30, which Portman believes should suffice given projections “we’re going to be back to the economy we had before the pandemic by mid year.
“To go beyond that, to September, which is what the administration wants to do, doesn’t seem to meet the need right now,” Portman continued.
Portman's retirement leaves void in addiction response
When I heard the news Sen. Rob Portman would not seek reelection in 2022, I was personally relieved for him. I know he's a good person, and I have seen firsthand how well he's served our communities. He deserves a more peaceful life with his family and has earned it many times over.
Portman's decision not to run again, however, will leave a big hole in the nation response to drug addiction. The senator is a giant when it comes to addiction policy and response and leaves some very big shoes for his successor to fill. That void is concerning to me.
I have been in federal-level meetings where it has been said, "As Cincinnati, Hamilton County goes with drug supply and addiction response, so too goes the United States." Anyone hoping to win Portman's seat must make addiction issues a critical part of their platform and work. As the field of candidates for this coveted Senate seat emerges, voters should ask an important question: Who will carry the mantle of addiction as Sen. Portman has?
There has not been a stronger advocate on the issue than Portman. Because of his holistic and comprehensive understanding of addiction, he was able to see it from the first responder perspective – medics, police, nurses, doctors, treatment caregivers and even those with substance abuse disorder. His extensive knowledge shaped many of his policies.
Cincinnati/Hamilton County was one of the first places in the U.S. where the deadly drug carfentanil hit the streets. Portman came to one of the area's hardest hit fire stations in terms of overdoses. He sat with police and treatment professionals, not to give a speech, but to just listen. He met with other city and county leaders about this new deadly drug and helped to get equipment so analysts could detect the presence of carfentanil.
Portman worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies to identify how carfentanil was entering the country. The source turned out to be manufacturers and distributors in China who were smuggling the drug into the country through the U.S. Post Office. His partnership with local government agencies helped shape the STOP Act, a law giving the Post Office the ability to intervene in suspicious packages from these known drug manufacturing countries.
I walked alongside Sen. Portman as he toured a center for those with substance use disorder. When patients began speaking about how addiction had impacted them, Portman asked if it would be OK if he joined them. He went into a room with them alone, leaving the rest of us outside the door, as a show of respect for them and their stories. The personal accounts of those people would help to shape two piece of life-saving legislation, the Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act (CARA) and CARA 2.0, which provided millions of dollars for treatment, prevention and recovery programs.
I was profoundly humbled when he offered me, a small town police chief, a seat at the table in Washington D.C. to testify in the Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations that he chaired. I got to see firsthand how he worked across party lines to pass bipartisan addiction legislation and raise awareness about addiction to a national level. By giving me and others a voice and opening doors for us to advocate at the federal level, Sen. Portman empowered a movement. When I feel overwhelmed, I am inspired by the senator's tireless work.
Portman can enter retirement knowing he has made a difference in the lives of the people he served. His legacy is cemented forever in the addiction policies he initiated, the lives he save, all those in recovery programs and the families who love them, and those the senator mentored, even if only by being in his presence.
So to those jockeying for his seat, you have a high bar to meet. Know that as addiction goes here in Greater Cincinnati, so too it goes for the rest of the country. Make those struggling with addiction and their loved ones a priority as Portman did. Understand that while rhetoric may score points on social media, compassionate actions and good policies last much longer than political careers.