Dave's Weekly Wrap: January 11, 2015
Statement
Friends,
With a new year comes a new session of Congress, and new era of governing in Washington. The American people sent us a clear message that they want to us work together and start solving problems in DC. So we got right down to business and started the new Congress by passing bills that have the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and in both the House and the Senate. Here's a few things that happened in the first week of Congress.
Sworn In
With my family by my side, I was honored to be sworn in on Tuesday with my colleagues to serve you for another two years. Representing you in Congress is the highest honor of my life and I appreciate your faith in me.
Hire More Heroes Act
One of the first things we did in Congress was pass H.R. 22, the Hire More Heroes Act. This bill exempts veterans who already receive health insurance through the Veterans Affairs Department, or reservists covered under Tricare, from being counted toward the number of employees that triggers the employer mandate under ObamaCare. This is a common sense change that makes it easier for businesses to hire veterans, so it was good to see nearly everyone in the House, from both sides of the aisle, come together to support this bill.
Protecting Our Great Lakes
Last Congress, I introduced a bill to formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a series of programs designed to preserve and protect our Great Lakes, for the next five years. It passed through the House but died in the Senate before the end of Congress. So I re-introduced the same legislation again on Thursday. The Great Lakes are an environmental treasure and an economic behemoth for our region, providing drinking water for over 40 million people and generating $62 billion in wages from the 1.5 million jobs that are directly connected to them. Plain and simple, the Great Lakes need to be protected, so I acted immediately to make sure this bill gets through the House again.
Keystone XL Pipeline
It has been 2,305 days since the Keystone XL Pipeline has been submitted. Approval of the Keystone Pipeline would create over 40,000 jobs and help make America more energy independent by moving 830,000 barrels of oil per day. There's no more excuses, it's time to build the pipeline and create jobs, so I voted to approve the pipeline on Friday.
It was a busy and productive week and I look forward to continuing serving Ohio's 14th Congressional District in the 114th session of the United States Congress.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you,
Dave
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