Renewed Opportunities

This past week, Americans across the country went to the polls to cast their votes. The results were telling. Ohioans and Americans everywhere reaffirmed their support for a limited government and unlimited opportunities, and I am thankful for their support.

This election was about restoring opportunity for all of those looking for work and creating an environment where our small business owners can hire and expand. As a former business owner for nearly 30 years, I know that Washington has been part of the problem, not the solution. I share the same frustration with Ohioans when it comes to gridlock in Congress and its inability to work together to get things done.

We need to send people to Washington who are willing to work together. Through my work on the Ways & Means Committee, my Bipartisan Working Group, and the bills I have introduced and cosponsored, I know how important it is to work in a bipartisan manner to get things accomplished.

Currently there are 352 House-passed bills that are gathering dust in the Senate. Over 98 percent of them have support from both Republicans and Democrats and 254 of these bills passed the House with no opposition. More than 60 of these bills were introduced by Democrats. I am a firm believer that policy should trump politics, and next year, once we have a Republican majority in the Senate, I am confident that these priority bills will finally see the light of day. It’s time that we have some real leadership in the Senate, and particularly leaders who are willing to come to the table and compromise.

Next year, I expect the House and Senate to work together in a number of areas to grow our economy and ease the squeeze on hardworking Americans. Specifically, I expect the Senate to consider the Keystone XL Pipeline, a project that would create 20,000 jobs, lead to lower energy costs, and strengthen our energy security. Second, I expect Congress to work together on comprehensive tax reform. As a member of the Ways & Means Committee, I have played an active role in the Committee’s draft proposal, which would create a fairer, simpler tax code – reducing the burden on American families and encouraging global competitiveness. Lastly, we will work together to mitigate the negative effects of the President’s health care law. We in the House have already passed several bills that would do just that, including legislation that repeals the medical device tax, provides relief to Ohioans by delaying the individual mandate, and ensures patients and their families, not unelected bureaucrats, are in charge of their treatment decisions by repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).

I believe that it is our responsibility to leave this country better than we found it, and I look forward to working with my friends on both sides of the aisle to pass on a better America to our children and grandchildren. I am honored to have the opportunity to return to Washington this week and next year to represent the good people of Ohio’s 16 ^th District and put forth commonsense, bipartisan solutions that will lead to renewed opportunities, a healthier economy, and job creation in Northeast Ohio.

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.