Biden administration
Speedier permitting of energy projects gains bipartisan backing on U.S. Senate panel
Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voiced their support Thursday for reforming the federal process for approving energy projects, saying it should be prioritized to secure domestic energy supply and boost renewable energy. There is bipartisan interest in revising the permitting process and members of both parties have […]
Biden administration proposes to strengthen patient privacy for those seeking abortions
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is trying to enhance the federal law that guards patient privacy to further protect those who seek legal abortion care and other reproductive health care services. The announcement comes amid two major ongoing federal court cases dealing with access to the abortion pill and fears that the pill’s U.S. Food […]
Biden administration announces boost for rural health care in midterm election push
As the midterm election season ramps up, the Biden administration wants rural Americans to know it’ll be spending a lot of money to improve health care in rural areas. It has tasked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack with delivering the message that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing problems with health care infrastructure in remote parts of […]
Pause on federal student loan repayments extended by Biden through Aug. 31
The Biden administration Wednesday announced its plans to extend the pause on federal student loan repayments until the end of August. “I recognized in recently extending the COVID-19 national emergency, we are still recovering from the pandemic and the unprecedented economic disruption it caused,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “If loan payments were to […]
Poll: Most Ohioans support a bipartisan infrastructure package. Will it get done?
A majority of Ohioans support a bipartisan infrastructure package being considered in Washington, D.C., according to a new poll commissioned and touted by a state environmental group. Around half of the 800 Ohioans polled offered support for the infrastructure bill, with approval rising to 64% after hearing some of the specific proposals in it, such […]
Missouri’s Robin Carnahan vows to modernize government IT systems as agency chief
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the General Services Administration, former Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, told senators Thursday that she was “horrified” by the slow pace of federal pandemic relief. While Congress responded to the crisis with new programs and resources, in too many instances, that help was not fast enough in […]
Infrastructure plan would fix some of Ohio’s 1,377 “structurally deficient” bridges
Five miles from the Ohio River in Lawrence County stands a small bridge on Sugar Creek-Johnstown Road. Only about 20 feet long, the bridge overtop Turkey Fork Creek aids residents of this very rural area in Southern Ohio reach the closest stores, restaurants and school buildings in nearby Coal Grove and Ironton. First built in […]
White House: Ohio’s infrastructure has ‘systemic lack of investment’
A fact-sheet promoting the Biden administration’s new jobs plan gave Ohio a less than average score on its infrastructure. The profile of Ohio said the state has “suffered from a systemic lack of investment” in areas such as roads and bridges, public transportation, drinking water, housing, broadband, child care and manufacturing. The infrastructure report found […]
Proposals call for expanded passenger rail service in Ohio
Biden administration, Amtrak proposing new passenger rail connecting Ohio’s “Three-C” cities The possibility of expanded passenger rail service in Ohio has some residents brainstorming how it might impact their lives. A Columbus resident imagines being able to take a train to Chicago, a place they haven’t been “in ages.” A baseball fan from Dayton thinks […]
Biden taps former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida to lead nation’s space program
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Friday that he’s picked former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida to head up NASA. The White House in its announcement stressed Nelson’s long experience with the U.S. space program. Nelson, a Democrat, chaired the Space Subcommittee as a member of the U.S. House for six years and during […]
Yost sues Biden admin. for ‘unconstitutional’ part of relief package
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is taking legal action in opposition to a provision in the federal COVID-19 package restricting local governments in how they can spend the upcoming relief funding. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last week, allocates $350 billion to states, localities, tribes and territories throughout […]
U.S. Senate panel advances nomination of transgender doctor from Pennsylvania for HHS post
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania’s former top health official, Dr. Rachel Levine, moved one step closer on Wednesday to becoming the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the federal government. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 13-9 to advance Levine’s nomination to serve as assistant secretary of Health and Human Services for a vote by the […]