From Westlake to Wooster, I consistently hear that Ohioans are frustrated with the slow pace of job creation. I, too, am concerned about our stagnant economy and Washington’s inability to come together to jumpstart it. Last month’s jobs report was one of the worst we have seen in recent months; it should serve as a wakeup call for my colleagues in the Senate who have yet to act on the dozens of House-passed jobs bills. How much longer is the Senate going to make Americans wait for the economic growth that we need?

This past week, I was proud to see the House of Representatives pass the Jobs for America Act, a package of bills that contains dozens of solutions that will help get Americans back to work and lower costs for Ohio families. Two of the bills included in the package specifically address the job-crushing effect of the President’s health care law. The Hire More Heroes Act encourages small businesses to hire more veterans because it exempts veterans who receive health insurance through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or TRICARE from being counted toward the 50 full-time employee threshold to provide insurance as required by the employer mandate in the President’s health care law. This bill has strong bipartisan support and will certainly incentivize employers to hire those who have served our country and are returning to the workforce. I was also pleased to see the Save American Workers Act pass the House with strong support this past week. This bill repeals the 30-hour definition of full-time employment in the President’s health care law, allowing small business owners the opportunity to grow without fearing uncertainty and increasing costs.

In addition to the bills that mitigate the negative effects of the President’s health care law on our workforce, the House passed legislation that will reduce unnecessary federal regulations on small businesses and help them create the jobs that we need. One of the bills, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, will reduce additional burdensome regulations by requiring Congress to approve any new major regulation issued by a federal agency before it takes effect. Another bill, the Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act, scales back government mandates and provides small businesses with greater access to the capital they need so that they can more easily create jobs. Lastly, the America's Small Business Tax Relief Act makes section 179 expensing of our tax code permanent - ensuring that our small businesses have the predictability they need to grow their business and plan for their financial futures.

As a former small business owner for nearly 30 years, I know that Washington is part of the problem, not the solution, when it comes to growing a business. The legislation we passed last week empowers our entrepreneurs, encourages innovation, and incites investment so that we can turn our economy around and get Ohioans back to work. I’m hopeful that my colleagues in the Senate will carefully review this legislation and reverse its pattern of inaction. Americans cannot wait much longer.

If you have any questions or if our office can be of assistance to you, please don't hesitate to call us at our Wadsworth office: (330) 334-0040, Parma office: (440) 882-6779, or Washington office: (202) 225-3876. I also encourage you to visit our website at renacci.house.gov and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and  YouTube pages to get the latest updates on my work in Washington and Ohio's 16th District.