April 18, 2022

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Enough is Enough!

Fox News op-ed: "Big Oil's 'rush to green' doesn't benefit American families"

Energy prices were rising long before Russia’s senseless invasion of Ukraine. Yet, America’s oil and gas industry has been made the scapegoat by the Democrats for the pain folks are feeling at the pump.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives, I have a front-row seat as political elites detail their plans to eliminate this industry. In my work on the committee, I frequently meet with these executives and workers, visit job sites and offices, doing everything I can to defend an industry that, right now, far too many Americans take for granted. Now, these companies need to do the same.

This issue hits close to home. Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, Appalachian Eastern and Southeastern Ohio, is home to a thriving, job-creating oil and gas economy atop the Utica and Marcellus shale plays.

Read the full op-ed, published on the Fox News website by clicking here.

Harrison County Day

I spent most of my time Thursday in Harrison County. I was invited by the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce to participate in their legislative forum held at the county fairgrounds. I was joined by members of the Ohio General Assembly and local elected officials. I encouraged the business and community leaders in attendance to continue to be voices for progress and reason in Harrison County, our great state, and beyond. I hope they continue engaging with their representatives in Washington and Columbus to educate us about what they do, the jobs they create, and the impacts of their efforts in the communities in which we live and work...and, very importantly, the challenges that they face.  

In Cadiz and Harrison County on April 14.

While in Harrison County, I was also pleased to highlight and officially announce significant federal funding for the Village of Cadiz. The funding will be used for improvements to the North Trunk Collection System portion of the village’s wastewater collection system. The announcement recognized the collaboration of the county commissioners, other local leaders, and state and federal agencies, and I commended them all for their efforts. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the major roles played by the Ohio Mid-East Governments Association (OMEGA) and the Army Corps of Engineers - without them, this wouldn’t have happened. This is a great example of what can happen when community leaders, government agencies, elected officials, and others work together toward a common goal. 

The Week in Biden Administration Follies

Where to start?

Inflation hit a 40-year high. The policies of this administration, backed by Nancy Pelosi, are leading us straight toward a cliff. President Biden keeps beating the “this is Vladimir Putin’s fault” drum, but no one is buying it. The chart below shows why. 

I’ve discussed at length the administration’s foolish and dangerous plan to eliminate the Title 42 restrictions at our southern border. Yet, this week they extended the public transportation mask mandate. So, by their logic, COVID is no longer a problem at the border, but it is still a problem on public transportation. This makes absolutely no sense.

Last week also featured a new attack on 2nd Amendment rights. Federal law DOES NOT give Joe Biden - or any president - the authority to regulate various gun parts, or to track buyers of these parts. This is not about putting a stop to the rise in crime nationwide. Rather, it is about going around Congress to create a national registry of every law-abiding American who owns a gun. That violates Americans’ Second Amendment rights, and I will not support it.

Busy Across Columbiana County

I made many stops in Columbiana County on last Monday, starting with speaking to fourth-graders at North Elementary in East Liverpool…a very engaging young group who knew a lot more than I expected about what is going on in the world. I then toured an Inspira Health Group Facility, which is part of a network of Northeast Ohio senior care facilities that offer a full spectrum of services. The director explained how CMS guidelines for COVID, still in place, have negatively impacted their operation. Later, I joined the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center (SOD) and Mayor Berlin in Salem to see some of the new upgrades underway in the downtown area. Some of the projects are taking advantage of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program, which provides a tax credit to leverage the private redevelopment of historic buildings.

A busy but very productive day!

Top: At North Elementary School in East Liverpool; Bottom left: With Inspira Health Group staff members in Calcutta after a tour of the facility; Bottom right: Getting a look at buildings under renovation in downtown Salem

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