Senator Brown - O-H Update: Central Ohio

Senator Brown with pal, disgraced 
candidate and sore loser, Hillary Clinton.

Securing Victories for Ohio in Bipartisan Spending Deal

Earlier this year, I supported a bipartisan budget that includes several important provisions that will help put Ohio families, workers, and businesses ahead.  (It wasn't really a budget, but an omnibus spending bill.)

One of the most important provisions of the budget  is the inclusion of funding to help states like Ohio combat the opioid crisis. For too long, Ohio communities have been desperate for the federal government to step up and provide the necessary resources. (So, why didn't this happen until Trump became president?)  That’s why I worked to ensure that Ohio will be among the first in line to receive the opioid funding included in the agreement. In addition, we secured $65 million to fund opioid detection devices and equipment called for in my bipartisan INTERDICT Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This will help Customs and Border agents stop deadly drugs like fentanyl at our borders and keep them from ever reaching Ohio streets.

I also teamed up with Senator Portman to protect Lake Erie, one of Ohio’s most important resources. Senator Portman and I secured full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) at $300 million, battling back attempts to slash funding for the program. We also worked in a bipartisan way to include language to prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from dumping toxic material dredged from the Cuyahoga River, (which has caught fire on several occasions), shipping channel into Lake Erie without the approval from the State of Ohio.

Men and women at military installations across Ohio are doing critical work to keep Ohio safe. In the budget, (spending bill) we made sure Ohio’s military installations received the funding they need. (That was a given, anyway.)

This wide-ranging budget agreement (spending bill) also included provisions to protect tipped workers, continue cleanup at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, fund Ohio’s federal highways, and support the families of Ohio’s fallen officers.

By working with colleagues from both parties to secure a long-term budget deal, we secured victories for our state and provided certainty for Ohio workers, families, and businesses. I will continue working with Congress and the Administration to do what’s right for Ohio. 

Senator Brown with pal, disgraced 
candidate and sore loser, Hillary Clinton.