113th Congress Renewed Opportunity

This past week, I was sworn in as the Representative for the new 10th Congressional District of Ohio. The newly created District is comprised of all of Montgomery and Greene counties, as well as a portion of Fayette County. Together they form a region with a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth and innovation - from downtown Dayton, to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, to the family farms and small businesses between downtown and the eastern line of Fayette County. However, it is up to the 113th Congress to tackle many difficult issues to ensure that growth is strong in the coming years. This includes putting our nation on a path towards a balanced budget, promoting job creation, and dealing with the devastating impact of defense cuts called sequestration.

In just two months, sequestration, which I have opposed since its inception, is scheduled to go into effect. Make no doubt, they will harm our national security and directly impact the southwest Ohio community. Wright-Patt is a critical economic engine with nearly 30,000 employees on base and another 20,000 off base, contributing over $5 billion to our region each year. Estimates from the House Armed Services Committee, on which I serve, as well as independent studies tally potential job losses in the thousands in our state alone. This is in addition to the loss of billions of dollars in related contracts which support small and medium size businesses.

This is an issue which cuts across party lines. It will require compromise and tough decisions from lawmakers and leaders throughout our government. This is no easy task, but we must support our men and women in uniform and the Americans they protect. I look forward to serving you over the next two years and am honored to have the opportunity.