Training and Experience
Business Owner - 2010 - present; State Representative 1997-2001; State Senator 2001-2011; Clerk of the Stow Municipal Court, 2013-2015.
Securing the border, bringing down inflation, and getting the federal government under control. Completing the border wall and requiring asylum seekers to wait for their hearing outside of the US are a good start. Passing proper budgets, rolling back wasteful spending, and tax reform will help get everyday costs under control. Requiring some form of Congressional approval of all rules and regulations by the executive agencies, along with periodic renewal of rules will help bring the bureaucracy to heel. 436 agencies currently make rules that impact us all without any concern about the impact.
Elections should be run by the states with evenly applied standards. It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat. I sponsored Ohio's election reform after the 2000 debacle and believe in voter ID. States should not be allowed to stop counting votes on election night. Ballot harvesting should be outlawed. I am not a fan of voting machines and believe paper ballots provide the most security. I support the Electoral College as it an essential feature of our republic, balancing majority rule with state rights and preventing our elections by being ruled by the tyranny of the loud.
We can't have a policy as long as the border is wide open and our border agents are being forced to be customer service representatives for illegals. Return the wait-in-Mexico policy that Biden cancelled requiring asylum seekers to wait for their hearing outside the US. Reward those who have followed the rules and do not provide a path to citizenship or permanent residency for those who came here illegally. Enhance border security with the wall and technology. Allow states and local governments to enforce immigration law. Once we secure the border, we can build a system of legal immigration that works for everyone.
The United States must stay engaged in the world and its allies in security should shoulder more of the burden. When the US pulls inward, the world's troublemakers step into the vacuum, both on the ground and in international institutions. I do not support throwing American tax dollars at anything without a clear plan for success, which is lacking under Joe Biden.
I strongly favor protecting our Great Lakes, which are a natural and economic resource for the region. I support good stewardship of the planet and believe the most practical way to do that is through market forces. Government cannot will technological breakthroughs, so I oppose mandates that ignore the realities of the moment in favor of utopian dreams. Car emissions have improved not because of mandates, but because consumers demanded it. As a result, the technology advanced. These same forces are what will define our breakthroughs going forward.
I believe in physician-led health care and do not believe insurance companies or bureaucrats should decide who lives and who dies. I served seven years as Chairman of the Ohio Senate Health Human Services & Aging Committee and worked to increase access to quality health care throughout Ohio and to keep costs under control by streamlining the relationship between providers and insurers and passing tort reform. I favor allowing people to purchase private insurance with a portion of their public benefits and oppose a universal government-run health system.
The United States Constitution, along with the preamble to the Declaration of Independence make clear that the role of our federal is to ensure the rights we all enjoy as human beings and those in the Bill of Rights. It is really, the primary role of government and I believe our existing founding documents provide such protection.
I’m running for re-election because Northeast Ohio deserves a champion in Congress who will fight to lower costs for working families, protect a women’s right to choose, expand access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, and keep our community safe.
Ohioans need someone who will fight in Washington for opportunity for our children, seniors and families, regardless of their politics or beliefs. That’s exactly what I’ve done in Congress. In my first term, I introduced over 65 bipartisan bills to cut taxes for working families while cracking down on corporate greed, protect survivors of domestic violence, eliminate junk fees on expenses such as cable bills, increase funding for law enforcement, and improve railway safety and more.
Every northeast Ohioan deserves to have their voices heard and votes counted. In Congress, I am fighting to make voting more accessible for every eligible voter by supporting the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Democracy for All Amendment, and the We the People Amendment— and I will hold accountable anyone who attacks the right to a free and fair election, particularly those who advocate violently overthrowing the government, like the attack we saw on the Capitol on January 6th.
One of my top priorities is implementing a comprehensive border strategy to protect our country’s national and economic security. I am a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act that would address border security, create legal status for undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S. with the possibility of earning citizenship, establish new pathways for asylum seekers, and create new legal pathways for economic migrants and unaccompanied minors. It’s time for lawmakers to come together and agree on common-sense, bipartisan reforms that strengthen enforcement at the border, stops the illegal flow of fentanyl into our country, & provides a path to citizenship for those who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S.
The U.S. has a special role in leading the world as we are the beacon of democracy and freedom. It’s important that we support our NATO allies and actively pursue democracy around the world. While we have the most powerful military in the world, our goal as a superpower should be to first seek diplomacy before engaging our military forces. However, there is no doubt that they are foreign adversaries that we must monitor as they seek to gain influence, particularly the global south and identify & eliminate terrorist threats that threaten our security. The U.S. must continue to lead in education, domestic manufacturing, & technology in order to address the challenges of today and remain highly competitive in an increasingly competitive world.
As the Vice-Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, I know that access to clean water, clean air, and a clean environment is a basic human right—and that we can fight for those rights while also creating good-paying jobs. We have a responsibility to be good stewards of our environment and In Congress, I have supported environmentally friendly policies that support our economy with good paying jobs, allow our national parks to thrive, bolster renewable energy that saves money and reduces costs, and support native wildlife. By protecting our environment we can maintain a place where our children & families can live a healthy life and enjoy our local natural resources.
The healthcare industry is one of the leading employers in our district. Working with our healthcare partners is key to reducing costs and making healthcare accessible. In Congress, I am pushing to cap the cost of life-saving medications such as insulin, ensure there are affordable long-term care options for Ohioans, and work to eliminate systemic biases that lead to health inequities by co-sponsoring the Momnibus Act to reduce maternal deaths. I also believe women should always have the right to make decisions about their reproductive freedom. As a co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, I am fighting against attempts to criminalize abortion and contraception and will stand up for victims of rape, incest, and domestic abuse.
Ensuring that no person faces discrimination is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government. It is well established that every person in this country deserves dignity and respect no matter what they look like, who they love, how they worship, or where their family originated, and it is the role of the federal government to protect those rights with the support of our court system. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act that would prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and identity. We also need to address wage disparities through initiatives like the Paycheck Fairness Act, which targets gender-based wage discrimination.
