As a small business owner, I created over 1,500 jobs in northeast Ohio and employed over 3,000 people. I understand what it takes to grow American business and keep and create jobs for American workers. Since coming to Washington, one of my top priorities has been to promote job creation and economic growth so that more and more Americans can realize the American Dream, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to find real solutions to this goal.

This Congress, I have introduced several bills to address these issues:

• H.R. 1091, the Flexibility to Promote Reemployment Act. This bipartisan bill encourages job creation by providing states with more flexibility to help unemployed individuals collect paychecks instead of benefit checks. We need to reduce the unnecessary Washington red tape that stands in the way of job growth and states' ability to make unemployment programs more effective.
• H.R. 1352, the Preparing More Welfare Recipients for Work Act. The 21st century economy requires individuals to be prepared with the necessary training and skills in order to find a good paying job. This legislation would allow Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients up to age 26 to have their hours spent completing their GED count towards their work requirement – raised from the current age of 20. Additionally, it would allow individuals to count participation in vocational education for up to 24 months instead of the current 12 months. Many in-demand fields require more than two semesters of training, and expanding this timeframe will allow more individuals to pursue the rewarding careers a vocational education offers.