REBUILDING OUR ECONOMY

IMPROVING EDUCATION

A COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

SECURING OUR BORDERS

AFFORDABLE QUALITY HEALTHCARE

FIGHTING FOR OHIO FARMERS

You and I know very well how devastating the many manufacturing plant closings and business closings have been here in northeast Ohio. For the first time in their lives, countless men and women have found themselves leaving work at the end of the day knowing that they would no longer have a job. Although it has been slow in coming, our economy is beginning to show signs of improvement. But one thing is clear, northeast Ohio must adapt to the new economy if we are to again become a player in the global marketplace.

Rising energy and health care costs, unfair foreign competition, and burdensome regulations have caused many in our manufacturing sector to struggle to keep their doors open. I am committed to doing everything possible to combat these concerns and to encourage greater growth and development in the manufacturing sector of our economy. The key to maintaining America’s edge in this highly competitive environment is to ensure that our workers have a level playing field and that our businesses are encouraged to invest in their greatest resource, their workers.

IMPROVING EDUCATION
We live in the most prosperous nation in the world, and our schools should be second-to-none.

We must provide more flexibility in federal funding and begin returning dollars and decisions back to our parents, teachers, and administrators who personally know and understand our children’s educational needs. Education policy should not be determined by a Washington bureaucrat who has never even met your children, it should be determined by the individuals who are personally involved in your children’s learning and who know your children’s names.

Increased parental involvement is critical to the success of our students. Today, however, more and more families are finding themselves in a situation where both parents must work in order to make ends meet. This situation, brought on by higher taxes both at the state and federal level, means that parents have less time to spend helping their children with their educational needs. This is another reason why tax relief is so important, it allows parents to have the time and resources that are needed to take an active role their children’s development. Increased parental involvement, higher standards, and accountability for results are all essential to improving our education system.

A COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE
In today’s changing economy our investment in job training and worker education is critical to putting people back to work, helping workers to stay competitive and for the creation of new jobs. It is imperative that we strive to give workers a hand-up and not just a hand-out. To make that possible we must work with our labor leaders and our businesses leaders to ensure that they have the tools they need to truly compete.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
All throughout the district, families are struggling and businesses are in jeopardy due to the increased energy costs we are experiencing. We must move our nation toward energy independence. It is not only an economic issue, but it is an issue of national security. To compete in the 21st Century we must work to find ways to increase domestic energy supply, and we can continue to do so right here in northeast Ohio. Without pursuing alternative energy sources and investing in new energy-saving technologies, we risk loosing our competitive edge and facing a future with uncertainty.

SECURING OUR BORDERS
I support strict enforcement of our current immigration laws.

Our nation has benefited immensely from the contributions of immigrants who have legally come to our country to create a better life for themselves and their families. The American Dream is still a powerful force that drives individuals from many backgrounds to work hard to make our communities better.

Unfortunately this same characteristic that makes our country great also makes us more vulnerable to those who want to exploit America’s openness to do us harm. It is important to our national security that we work to establish a good balance between stronger enforcement yet still allowing law abiding individuals the opportunities that America affords.

Many programs within our Department of Homeland Security already serve as our first line of defense against illegal immigrants and therefore must be supported and evaluated to determine if they have the resources they need to do their jobs. Additionally we must work to create stricter enforcement of the current immigration laws and impose the appropriate penalties on the thousands of people who work to facilitate and profit from illegal border crossings.

Since many illegal immigrants are here looking for employment, we must also work with our business leaders to ensure that they are abiding by the current immigration law as well as working to validate the necessary paperwork for their employees.

By working together we can help to ensure that our borders are secure while still allowing individuals from other countries all the greatness that America has to offer.

AFFORDABLE QUALITY HEALTHCARE
Like many in our district, I am also concerned about the rising cost of health care which is threatening our families as well as our global competitiveness. Although there is no easy solution to the many problems plaguing our health care industry, we must work to provide easier access to affordable, quality healthcare. The burdensome mandates placed on providers as well as the excessive lawsuits brought upon our doctors must be addressed. We must work to set sensible limits on non-economic damages to help restrain medical liability premium increases while ensuring compensation for those injured by negligence.

FIGHTING FOR OHIO FARMERS
Often times farming is overlooked when our leaders are discussing economic development, but agriculture and agriculture-related businesses are one of the most important parts of our region’s economy. The sixteenth congressional district has some of the richest farmland in the state. Our farmers’ commitment to providing a food supply that is safe, reliable and affordable must be supported and encouraged.

Congress is in the process of reviewing the multi-year legislation known as the “farm bill” which lays out important conservation, rural development, research, nutrition and feeding as well as other programs that are essential to our farmers.

Whether it is the farm bill provisions, trade, or technology, I will work to protect the interests of our farmers and their families.