August 8, 2022

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It's that time of year again when the national media reports that Congress is on "August recess." I always laugh when I hear that phrase. I can't speak for any of my colleagues, but August is definitely not a vacation for me. Just this week, I traveled to Barnesville, Belpre, Gallipolis, Ironton, Lisbon, Pomeroy, Salem, Steubenville, and a lot of places in between. Chances are I will be in your area sometime this month.

District Work Period Visits and Tours

A few pictures from this week, clockwise from top left: Meeting with young business leaders in Meigs County on August 3; at the Kroger Pharmacy in Belpre on August 4; WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital on Thursday; and, a look outside the soon to be open Youth Crisis Center in Gallipolis on Wednesday.

As I mentioned, this was a very busy week up and down Eastern and Southeastern Ohio.

In Gallipolis on Wednesday, I stopped at the soon-to-be-open Youth Crisis Center. Once operational, the facility will have 16 beds, with a boys wing and a girls wing. The center will provide rapid intervention, evaluation, and stabilization for children ages 8-18 who are experiencing a crisis. The effort to make this a reality was spearheaded by Robin Harris, the executive director of the Gallia-Jackson-Meigs Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health board (ADAMH). She worked tirelessly to make this happen, and her efforts will have a tremendous impact.

Later that afternoon, I headed back up Route 7 to Pomeroy where I met some young leaders in the local business community and listened as they shared their challenges, thoughts, and ideas. Thanks to Perry Varnadoe, the Director of Meigs County Economic Development for setting this up.

I started Thursday morning off in Barnesville with a visit and tour of West Virginia University (WVU) Medical Barnesville Hospital. I was invited by CEO David Phillips. After meeting with some staff and patients, I sat down with hospital administrators in a roundtable discussion to talk about workforce challenges, the hospital’s relatively new relationship with WVU, the lasting impact of COVID, challenges faced by rural healthcare providers, and healthcare funding. 

I also visited the Kroger Pharmacy in Belpre on Thursday. I got an overview of the pharmacy, such as how many patients they serve, how many people the store employs, and community programs the pharmacy participates in. I also received a demonstration of pharmacy services, including filling, billing, and dispensing prescriptions, counseling the patient on proper usage, and learned about COVID procedures the pharmacy has in place. Company officials also discussed legislation pending in Washington D.C. that is important to them and their industry.

Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday

Ohio will continue its annual sales tax holiday this weekend. Four years ago, legislation was signed into law to make permanent the Ohio sales tax holiday during the first weekend of August. Retailers benefit, it helps keep revenue in-state, and it encourages consumers to get their back-to-school shopping done while saving a little extra money – which is pretty important right now with crippling inflation and rising prices everywhere. Before I was elected to Congress, I led a grassroots coalition called the Ohio Sales Tax Reform Incentive (OSTRI) advocating for this legislation…I’m glad it eventually happened.

Take advantage of the tax free weekend…and support some local businesses while you are out.

   NFIB Meetings 

On both Wednesday (in Ironton) and Thursday (in Steubenville), I spoke at National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) gatherings. As a former small-business owner myself, I always enjoy hearing directly from entrepreneurs about what's working for them at the federal level and what’s not. We spoke about subjects in the news such as rapid inflation, oil prices, rising interest rates, and other topics.

NFIB luncheon in Ironton at Frisch's Big Boy on August 3.

Small businesses are America’s largest job creators, employing over 2 million people in Ohio alone. Many of you undoubtedly work at, or even own and operate, a small business. There is no doubt, small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and I enjoy stopping by and visiting with local business owners as I travel up and down Eastern and Southeastern Ohio. I encourage you to find ways to “shop small” and support our small businesses!

On August 4, I spoke with small business owners at an NFIB event in Steubenville.

The Brightside Project in Salem

I spent much of Monday in Columbiana County meeting with folks working to make a difference in our community. One of those meetings was with The Brightside Project in Salem — a faith-based non-profit serving at-risk children in the county. The goal of the organization, which was launched in 2016, is to equip and empower children struggling with poverty, drug abuse and/or hunger, to meet their full potential. To achieve this, Brightside furnishes food, clothing and other essentials while providing the mentorship, friendship, and love to get these kids back on their feet. Later in the month, Brightside will do a K-12 school supply and backpack distribution. The Brightside Project is also the Columbiana County affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

The Brightside Project is headed up by the father/daughter team of Scott Lewis and Lisa Wallace, who are really doing great things with tremendous community support. It was a pleasure to visit.

Learning more about The Brightside Project in Salem on August 1.

My heart goes out to the families of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski of Indiana, Emma Thomson, and Zachery Potts. Jackie died doing what she felt called to do…serving the people of her district. My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families, and those impacted by this tragic loss. RIP Jackie, Emma, and Zachery…we will miss you all.

Thank you again for subscribing to my weekly District Download. If you have something on your mind, you can contact me at one of the numbers below, or send me an email by clicking on this link here to contact me. It is my pleasure to serve you, and I hope to see you around Eastern and Southeastern Ohio soon. 

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