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October 07, 2016

Nine Months of Delivering Results for Ohio

Since the beginning of the year, Senator Portman has been as active as ever in his efforts to deliver results for Ohioans.  Portman has worked to help Ohioans struggling with addiction, help combat the horrific crime of human trafficking, increase energy efficiency, create jobs, and boost wages for Ohio workers and much more. Here’s a look at how Senator Portman has delivered results for Ohioans over the past nine months:

Creating Jobs & Delivering Results for Ohio Workers. Portman’s top priority in the Senate continues to be boosting Ohio jobs and the economy. That is why Portman, who has a lengthy record of delivering results for Ohio workers, has worked to expand markets for Ohio products, combat unfair and illegal trade practices that hurt Ohio workers, and protect Ohio steelworkers from foreign cheating.  Moreover, Portman, who was named a “Hero of Main Street” and “Fiscal Hero,” has worked to create a better environment for job creation and help Ohio workers keep their hard-earned pensions.

  • The Senate passed Portman’s bipartisan energy efficiency bill with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). As Portman detailed on the Senate floor, the Portman-Shaheen bill will help create nearly 200,000 jobs while reducing carbon emissions equivalent to taking 20 million cars off the road. This would represent a significant victory for consumers, for our economy, and for the environment.  The measure is supported by more than 260 businesses, associations and advocacy groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the Sierra Club, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Alliance to Save Energy.
  • In February – after his Leveling the Playing Field Act was signed into law last year – Portman’s ENFORCE Act was signed into law. This bipartisan measure will help American manufacturers by cracking down on foreign countries that illegally import goods and violate our trade laws.  And he’s continuing to work to ensure the Obama administration fully implements the law so it makes a real difference for our workers.
  • Portman’s Leveling the Playing Field Act has led to three big wins for Ohio workers this year.  Earlier this year – after Portman had testified in front of the International Trade Commission (ITC) twice – the ITC ruled in favor of Ohio steelworkers and against foreign trade cheats like China three times.  As a result, in all three cases the Commerce Department has issued antidumping and countervailing duty orders as high as 265 percent on steel coming from China and certain other foreign competitors.
  • Because of pressure from Portman and others, the Treasury Department rejected the application from Central States to reduce pension benefits by up to 70 percent.  Portman continues to work to help the more than 47,000 Ohioans whose pensions could be cut.  At a rally in the U.S. Capitol in April, Portman discussed how his Pension Accountability Act will help give pensioners a seat at the table so they can have their voices heard.
  • In June, Portman and Senator Brown secured a vote in the Senate Finance Committee on the Miner’s Protection Act, which would protect the hard-earned pensions and health benefits of our nation’s coal miners. Portman fought hard to ensure these mine workers get the benefits they have earned.  The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill in September by a vote of 18-8 and Portman immediately called on the full Senate to pass the measure.
  • In April, the Senate Finance Committee approved the bipartisan Taxpayer Protection Act, which includes two measures Portman has championed, including legislation to protect the privacy rights of taxpayers by ensuring that the IRS can’t outsource an audit. 
  • In May, President Obama signed into law Portman’s American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act to bolster job creation for American manufacturers. This legislation is nearly identical to a measure introduced last year by Portman and Senator McCaskill, who had worked to bring stakeholders in the House and Senate together and find a solution to the issue for five years.
  • In March, Portman’s bipartisan Competitive Service Act was signed into law by the president. This measure will streamline the hiring process by cutting duplicative services and saving taxpayer money.  The measure will help ensure that the federal government has world-class, highly-trained workers able to deal with sensitive national security issues like cybersecurity and information technology.
  • Earlier this year, Portman advocated in support of Licking County’s application for the use of its drone. The FAA approved of the county’s request in April. This will help on a variety of important economic development projects, such as the dam reconstruction project at Buckeye Lake.

Combating Drug Addiction. As the author of the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act (CARA), which was signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2016, Portman has led the national effort to combat the drug epidemic that is devastating communities across Ohio and our country.  His work has been praised by Ohio anti-drug advocates as well as editorial boards around the country. The legislation ensures that federal resources are focused on evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that have proven effective in local communities so that it can make a difference in people’s lives:

  • In the first nine months of this year, Senator Portman delivered 26 speeches on the Senate floor as part of his tireless effort to raise awareness about the heroin and prescription drug epidemic, and pass CARA. His speeches put pressure on the Senate, and then on the House, to act on this crisis, and helped get his bill enacted into law.
  • The CARA law authorizes $181 million annually in discretionary spending for new programs contained in the legislation. That’s more than double – a 132 percent increase – the authorization level in the original Senate-passed bill ($78 million).
  • Portman has been a leader in the fight for more funding to combat this crisis.  In fact, Portman secured $37 million in the Continuing Resolution, which will serve as a down payment toward fully funding the law and help get CARA’s grant programs up and running in the short term rather than waiting for the FY 2017 appropriations cycle to conclude.
  • Portman supports fully funding CARA, but supports going further than that and has voted for emergency funding to combat this crisis.  Over the last two years, Portman has worked with the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure significant increases in funding for opioid programs. In fact, for this fiscal year the House and Senate passed (and President Obama signed into law) an increase in total federal spending on opioids of 47 percent over last year ($321M vs. $220M).  For next fiscal year, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $471.5M for federal opioid programs, which – if enacted – would be a 113 percent increase over the level two years ago ($471.5M vs. $220M). 
  • Portman twice touted the landmark CARA legislation in the Weekly Republican Address. Portman has also made clear in various TV and radio interviews – not to mention 26 speeches – that he would not rest until CARA was signed into law and we had begun to provide much-needed relief to those who are suffering from addiction.
  • Earlier this week, Senator Portman and his Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) released a bipartisan report that reveal serious defects in the federal government’s anti-opioid abuse efforts in Medicare.  The report faults both the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its lead program integrity contractor (known as “the MEDIC”) for its shoddy process for reporting, investigating and combating opioid-related fraud and abuse — ranging from physicians issuing large volumes of questionable opioid prescriptions, to potentially criminal diversion of opioids into the nation’s streets.  The report also raises alarms that serious cases of systemic opioid-related abuse may be going undetected and unaddressed by federal authorities.  Finally, it details the anti-opioid abuse practices of six large health insurance companies.

Working to End Human Trafficking. This year, Portman has taken his efforts to combat human trafficking to a new level. Over the past nine months, Portman – who is the author of five federal anti-trafficking laws designed to better serve victims and help law enforcement end this horrific crime – has led an investigation of online sex trafficking and has continued touring the state to meet with survivors of human trafficking to hear their stories: 

  • Portman is working to combat illegal online marketplaces for sex. Portman and Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), as Chairman and Ranking Member of PSI, filed a civil action in the federal district court in Washington, D.C. to enforce a subpoena issued to Backpage.com CEO Carl Ferrer and require the company to turn over documents relevant to its investigation of online sex trafficking. For the first time in 21 years, the Senate voted to hold someone in contempt of Congress by passing Portman’s resolution on Backpage by a 96-0 vote.  Portman has been widely praised for his investigation to examine how sex traffickers use Backpage and other sites to commit crimes and his ongoing efforts to help stop human trafficking. The investigation was featured in ABC’s Nightline program titled “Daughters for Sex.”
  • In September, Senators Portman, McCaskill, and PSI won a historic victory in their efforts to end human trafficking.  A U.S. District Court Judge ordered Backpage to comply with Senate subpoena in sex trafficking investigation, calling the company’s claims “untenable and without legal support.”  Backpage now must comply with the subpoena and hand over the subpoenaed documents by October 10, and the investigation will move forward in order to help the United States Senate more effectively combat the growing scourge of human trafficking online.
  • The Toledo Blade praised Portman’s work on the Backpage investigation, saying: “At long last, light may be shed on how pimps conduct their abhorrent business online while staying just outside the reach of the law.  Mr. Portman and Ms. McCaskill are to be commended for their tenacious pursuit of answers.”
  • In March, Portman questioned Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on what steps were being taken to secure our porous borders and protect migrant children.
  • In February, Portman visited Freedom a la Cart, a business in Columbus that hires and trains survivors of human trafficking, including victims who had been trafficked through Backpage.com and other websites. In June, Portman participated in the Columbus March for Freedom to raise awareness on human trafficking.  In July, he visited She Has A Name and Clean Turn LLC, which provide job opportunities and social services to survivors of human trafficking to help them get their lives back on track and pursue their God-given potential. 
  • In May, Portman was awarded the 2016 Children’s Health Champion award from Voices for Ohio’s Children. Portman received this award for his leadership in protecting Ohio’s children from the heinous crime of human trafficking and combating the drug epidemic that is devastating families and communities throughout Ohio.

Protecting Ohioans and Making America Stronger: Portman is committed to keeping Ohioans safe and has consistently advocated for a more robust and comprehensive American strategy to protect our allies and defeat our enemies. In doing so, Portman has sought to increase the range of capabilities for the Ohio National Guard and create jobs and opportunity for Ohio’s servicemembers.

  • In March, Portman led the entire Ohio delegation in a bipartisan effort on behalf of the Ohio Air National Guard urging General Carlton Everhart of the Air Mobility Command to locate a KC-135 air refueling tanker flight simulator at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. In April, Portman announced the USAF had fulfilled their request. 
  • In January, Portman, Rep. Latta, Senator Brown and Rep. Kaptur urged the Secretary of the Air Force to select the 180th Fighter Wing (FW) in Toledo to receive the new F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. Portman and Latta then visited the base a few weeks later and met with base leadership and local community leaders to discuss ways to advocate for the base. In June, Portman visited the 180th FW with Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James after leading the effort with Senator Brown, Rep. Turner, Rep. Latta, and Rep. Kaptur in inviting her to see the base’s advantages for herself.
  • In April, Portman’s bipartisan efforts with Rep. Mike Turner and Senator Sherrod Brown, led to the Department of Veterans Affairs naming the Dayton Veterans Affairs campus as the home of the VA’s National Archives.
  • In May, the Senate unanimously approved Portman legislation that would support our disabled veterans. The measure would help ensure that more permanently disabled veterans are able to have student loans forgiven.
  • In June, the Senate approved Portman’s and Senator Brown’s amendment urging the Air Force to prioritize C-130 upgrades for the Youngstown Air Reserve Station to strengthen its mission capabilities. Portman has been urging the Air Force to replace YARS’ 910th Airlift Wing’s current fleet of C-130H aircraft with new C-130J aircraft to ensure that the 910th’s Department of Defense (DoD)-mandated specialized aerial spray mission continues safely and without interruption.
  • In July, Portman and McCaskill, as Chairman and Ranking Member of PSI, released a bipartisan report examining the U.S. State Department’s grants to OneVoice – a non-governmental organization operating in Israel and the Palestinian Territories that used federal taxpayer money to build a campaign organization later used to try and defeat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Remarkably, the group informed the State Department about its anti-Netanyahu political plans during the federal grant period, but the State Department ignored all of these warnings signs and did nothing about it.  After the report was released, Portman said it is completely unacceptable that U.S. taxpayer dollars were used against the leader of our closest ally in the Middle East, and that American resources should be used to help our allies in the region, not undermine them.
  • In April, Portman received the Major General Charles Dick Award for Legislative Excellence from the Ohio National Guard Association for his numerous efforts on behalf of the Ohio National Guard during his time in the Senate.   

Protecting America’s National Parks & Our Environment: Senator Portman continues to be a leader in protecting our environment. Senator Portman has a lengthy record of accomplishments in protecting Lake Erie, and he recently succeeded in passing energy efficiency legislation in the Senate that will dramatically reduce carbon emissions. In addition, Portman has helped lead efforts to make drinking water safe for Ohioans and protect Lake Erie from dredged materials. He recently received a Clean Water Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for his efforts.

  • Portman has worked tirelessly to ensure that all Ohioans have safe drinking water.  He worked with Senators Stabenow, Inhofe, and Peters to reach an agreement that would address lead exposure to drinking water systems in Ohio and other states.  This legislation will not only address the crisis in Flint, Michigan but also help Ohio and other states should emergencies arise.  The Senate approved this measure in September as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), and congressional leaders agreed to finalize work on the bill before the end of the year.
  • Portman has also worked this year with Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) on legislation to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) one year after Portman secured $300 million in funding for the program, which provided $5.9 million in grants to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and $1.5 million to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency after the Toledo water crisis of 2014. This funding has been used to eliminate harmful algal blooms and reduce phosphorous loading into Lake Erie.  The legislation authorizes GLRI to receive $300 million annually, which is $50 million more than President Obama requested in his budget.  The Senate also approved this measure in September as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), and the measure is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
  • In March, Portman demanded answers on behalf of Cleveland to preserve Lake Erie. Portman, as chairman of PSI, sent a letter to Secretary Ashton B. Carter requesting information regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ efforts to dredge the Cleveland Harbor. It has been reported that the Corps cut its own budget by roughly $3 million – to less than it actually needs to dispose safely of the dredged material.  Portman and Senator Brown have called on the Corps to end its irresponsible refusal to dredge the Cuyahoga River shipping channel this year, and recently, the Corps agreed to dredge the channel. 
  • In May, the Senate passed the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which includes Portman’s priorities to fund the cleanup of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio.  Portman has insistently urged Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Moniz to keep the administration’s promises to the Piketon community.  In the recently signed-into-law Continuing Resolution, Portman helped secure funding to ensure that DOE can avoid disruption of the clean-up activities at plant.

Exposing Reckless Mismanagement in Obamacare CO-OPs. Over the past nine months, Portman has worked to expose the reckless mismanagement in the Obamacare CO-OP program – a $2.4 billion loan program that launched 23 health insurance start-ups, more than half of which have failed, including the CO-OP for Ohio. Portman and his Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report detailing the extraordinary losses racked up by the failed CO-OPs throughout 2014 and 2015, and the dim prospects that taxpayers will recover any of HHS’s $1.2 billion investment in those companies.

  • In their ongoing effort to hold the administration accountable, Portman and a bipartisan group of Senators wrote Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt seeking information about a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which found that between October 2013 to March 2015, HealthCare.gov had 316 security incidents, including 41 involving personally identifiable information.
  • In June, Portman and PSI followed up on their March report, demanding answers from the administration after exposing new Obamacare CO-OP costs for Ohioans. Portman has worked diligently to stand up for the thousands of Ohio consumers who now face increased health care costs at no fault of their own.

Preventing Cable and Satellite Companies From Overcharging Ohioans. In June, Senators Portman and McCaskill, as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led an investigation that revealed that Cable TV Companies such as Time Warner Cable, the biggest cable TV provider in Ohio, were knowingly over-billing their consumers. It was found that in the first five months of 2016 alone, Time Warner Cable overbilled up to 11,000 customers in Ohio – and those overcharges totaled $108,000. Senator Portman accurately described this overcharging as a “rip-off of Ohio consumers.” As a result of this investigation, Cable TV Companies took some initial steps to improve their practices.

  • Going forward, the company will provide an automatic one-month credit to all customers for each piece of overbilled equipment or service, and it will provide notice to overbilled customers so they can determine whether to request a credit or refund. But that still does not make customers whole.

But Wait, There’s More. In addition to combating the drug epidemic, standing up for Ohio’s workers, working to end human and sex trafficking, and protecting our environment, all while prioritizing job creation and increased wages, Portman has found time to be a leader on other issues. Here is a look at some of his other accomplishments of the past nine months:

  • In April, Portman helped secure additional funds for Ohio to help revitalized neighborhoods that were hardest hit by the housing crisis.  In total, Ohio has now received $191 million in funding for this purpose.  Portman has long fought for the ability for Ohio communities to tap into additional funds to demolish vacant, blighted structures, which pose a growing threat to the public safety and economic well-being of our communities.  Last December, Portman successfully worked to secure the transfer of $2 billion to the Hardest Hit Fund in the year end Omnibus Appropriations bill.  Ohio has an estimated 200,000 vacant properties awaiting demolition, which pose a significant risk to public safety and drastically decreasing the value of surrounding properties.
  • In March, Portman joined 12 other Senate Republicans to urge Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to halt the Obama Administration’s plans to cut funding for the Medicare Advantage (MA) program – cuts that would jeopardize the health benefits that millions of seniors rely on today.
  • In March, Portman’s legislation to rename the United States Postal Service facility located in Grove City after Army Specialist Joseph W. Riley, a native of Grove City who died on November 24, 2014 in Kabul Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, was signed into law. In July, Portman hosted a ceremony in Grove City to announce the dedication of the post office in his name.
  • In February, Portman urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General to undertake a swift investigation into troubling reports of substandard care and mismanagement at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Portman demanded that Deputy Inspector General Linda A. Halliday address these reports and investigate as quickly as possible. 
  • Portman backed an aggressive effort to help stop the spread of the Zika virus, voting for three measures to fund the response and strengthen health programs here in the United States.  Portman also went to bat for Ohio’s role to be part of the solution.  On May 5, Portman urged the Secretary of the Air Force to ensure that the unique capabilities of the 910th Airlift Wing (910th) stationed at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS) to combat communicable diseases inside the United States are strengthened, not weakened, especially at a time when those capabilities could be part of a potential Zika solution.  The 910th serves as the nation’s only large area fixed-wing aerial spray capable of controlling disease-carrying insects, pest insects, and undesirable vegetation.  On April 15, Portman questioned Department of Defense officials at a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on whether DOD assets, such as 910th AW in Youngstown, could be better utilized to combat the Zika outbreak.
  • In June, Portman and Brown led the effort to pass a resolution honoring George Voinovich’s life of service to Ohio and the United States. Voinovich passed away on June 12, 2016. Portman delivered a floor speech honoring his predecessor in the Senate.
  • Portman worked with federal, state, and local leaders throughout the process in the effort to help the mayor and city of Columbus land the multi-million dollar Smart City grant from the Department of Transportation.  He led the Ohio delegation letter in support of the final round, and was instrumental throughout the application process.
  • Portman is a regular volunteer and longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide affordable housing to low-income families. In July, Portman joined Owens Corning and the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity in a major neighborhood revitalization project known as the “Buckeye Build.”  The Buckeye Build Project – which took place in Cleveland’s historic Buckeye Neighborhood – fully rehabilitated two houses on Grandview Avenue, assisted approximately 15 current residents with exterior improvements, and provided new roofs and attic insulation for five homes.

Senator Portman has fought for all Ohioans, and he has delivered results for them. He has led the effort to combat America’s drug epidemic and end human trafficking; he has consistently helped level the playing field for Ohio’s workers and worked to create jobs and boost wages; he has stood up for American global leadership and Ohio’s servicemembers; he has fought for a health care system that works, and much, much more. And this is just the beginning. Senator Portman will continue to deliver results for the people he represents.

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