House lawmakers recently advanced a measure designed to ensure federal support to protect the safety of non-profits at risk of terrorism, including synagogues, mosques, churches and other places of worship. The Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019 authorizes a security grant program within the Department of Homeland Security for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations at risk of a terrorist attack. It was authored by Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G.... Read more

U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Steve Stivers (R-OH) introduced bipartisan legislation to make available an additional 4,000 visas for U.S.-employed Afghans and Iraqis through the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. “This bill is not about politics, it is just the right thing to do,” said Rep. Stivers on Monday. The members are original cosponsors of the Afghan Allies and Protection Act, H.R. 2796, sponsored on May 16 by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) to support the Afghan and Ir... Read more

President Trump called the ongoing trade war with China a “little squabble” on Tuesday, but Representative Steve Stivers disagrees with how Trump is using tariffs to negotiate. Stivers (R-15) said in an interview, with Spectrum Washington reporter Taylor Popielarz on Tuesday, that tariffs are not the right answer in trying to get China to play fairly in the world of trade. “I believe tariffs are starting to hurt American consumers, they’re starting to hurt American manufacturers and American far... Read more

North Korea reportedly insisted the U.S. agree to pay $2 million in medical costs in 2017 before it released detained American college student Otto Warmbier while he was in a coma, according to a report published Thursday. The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the situation, reported that Joseph Yun, a U.S. envoy sent to North Korea to retrieve the 21-year-old student, signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on instructions passed down from President Donald Trump. They spoke on ... Read more

A piece of federal legislation was recently introduced that would change the definition of homelessness and improve access to services for families across the country. The bipartisan bill, known as The Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2019 (H.R. 2001) would removes barriers to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistance, and many say it was a long-awaited change. Judy Crockett, coordinator of the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body (HSCB), said it helps defi... Read more

Ronnie White served in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968, but it wasn’t until Desert Storm — 23 years later — that anyone thanked him for his military service. So when a traffic cop cleared suburban D.C. streets during rush hour Tuesday so White and 116 other veterans on an Honor Flight from Ohio could travel from monument to monument, White was elated. “This is the parade we didn’t get to have,” the Columbus resident, 73, said with a grin. How do you properly express gratitude to someone... Read more

A new study shows that Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio had the second most bipartisan record in the U.S. Senate during the past two years, trailing only Republican Susan Collins among those evaluated. The research, conducted by the Lugar Center, which was founded by former Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, based the rankings on two criteria: first, how often a senator’s own bill is co-sponsored by a member of the other party; and second, how often a senator co-sponsors a bill introdu... Read more

Numerous House and Senate Republicans in Ohio broke with President Trump Monday on a plan to slash funding for Great Lakes clean up. The president’s budget proposal — which is just a legislative suggestion and has no binding power over Congress — would cut the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding from $300 million this year to $30 million next year. The bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funds clean up efforts in polluted Great Lakes sites, addresses threats of Asian carp... Read more

A congressman’s call made city officials rather happy. During Thursday’s Wilmington City Council meeting, Mayor John Stanforth told attendees he received the call from U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15th District) in regards to the ongoing issue with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. “I just had the best news that I’ve gotten since I’ve been mayor,” said Stanforth. “Steve Stivers had called me. So, we had finally have gotten somebody’s attention wi... Read more

U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) on Feb. 26 sponsored bipartisan legislation to reform employee health benefits in the United States. The Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee (RAISE) Health Benefits Act, H.R. 1366, would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the opportunity for responsible health savings to all American families, according to the congressional record summary. “This bill is simply about putting the ‘flexibility’ back in ‘flexible spending accounts,’”... Read more