Bob Latta
Last minute donations: Who gave to Ohio’s federal candidates in the final weeks of the election?
Donors spent a lot of money in Ohio during this year’s election. Campaign advertising tracker AdImpact estimated $344 million went into ads on TV, online or over the radio. OpenSecrets, which tracks federal campaigns, showed candidates raising about $100 million — and that didn’t take into account the final week of fundraising. During the final […]
Congress hates changing the clocks just like everyone else
WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats in Congress can agree on sleep, or more precisely, the inconvenience of losing or gaining an hour of it each year thanks to going on and off daylight saving time. “I believe that any justifications for springing forward and falling back are either outdated or are outweighed by the serious […]
Federal pipeline standards backed by top energy regulator after Colonial Pipeline hack
New federal powers are needed to prevent major energy disruptions like the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline that left the East Coast short of gas at the pumps for days, the chairman of the federal commission overseeing energy and some U.S. House Democrats said Wednesday. A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee discussed a proposal by […]
Ohio congressmen take issue with U.S. Capitol metal detectors; supported them in schools
Three Ohio congressmen have reportedly taken issue with new metal detectors installed outside the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, objecting to increased security measures put in place after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol building just a week ago. All three of them — Reps. Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington, Bob Gibbs of Lakeville […]
5 Ohio congressmen object to Electoral College count in effort to overturn result
Five Republican members of Congress from Ohio voted Wednesday evening to reject an Electoral College certification, an action taken hours after a right-wing mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building in a violent show of support for overturning the presidential election results. Those objecting were U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan of Urbana, Bill Johnson of Marietta, Bob […]
Ohio Electoral College casts ballots for Trump as Biden secures presidential win
Ohio officially cast its 18 electoral votes to President Trump yesterday with the 55th Electoral College meeting at the Ohio Statehouse. The Columbus proceedings were largely perfunctory and were part of a nationwide casting of electoral ballots on Monday, with presidential-elect Joe Biden receiving the most ballots as was expected. Ohio’s meeting was also drama-free […]
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas suit that tried to overturn election results
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday turned aside a Texas lawsuit that sought to derail the presidential election results from four battleground states, despite pressure on the justices from President Donald Trump on social media. “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections,” according […]
All Ohio U.S. Congressional incumbents win reelection, Associated Press projects
All of Ohio’s U.S. Congressional district incumbents both Republican and Democratic have won reelection according to projections from the Associated Press based on unofficial results. The AP has called the races in favor of incumbent Democratic U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty, Marcy Kaptur, Marcia Fudge, and Tim Ryan, as well as Republican incumbents Steve Chabot, Troy […]
House passes bipartisan public lands bill; next stop president’s desk
WASHINGTON — Major environmental legislation sailed through Congress Wednesday while the nation’s political leaders were stuck in intense negotiations over the contours of a fifth coronavirus relief package. The bill would provide $9.5 billion over five years to pay down the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog and provide permanent funding at $900 million per year […]
Will Congress send aid to ailing local news outlets?
WASHINGTON — Politicians are banding together to try to rescue local news media from economic collapse during the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that Democratic leaders in Congress are pushing to fix a small business lending program so that it applies to local news publishers and broadcasters affiliated with larger organizations. […]
Can Ohio’s divided congressional delegation find common ground on coronavirus?
WASHINGTON — How much paid leave are Ohio employers required to provide under new federal law? Will they be reimbursed? What benefits will workers get if they aren’t eligible for paid sick leave? How do restaurant and bar owners get in on the state’s liquor buyback program? Ohio U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-6th) answers these […]
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan takes workhorse-showhorse divide to extremes
WASHINGTON — One of the most influential members of Congress — and most ardent defenders of President Donald Trump — is also one of the least active legislatively. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan — the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the upper chamber’s main investigative arm — didn’t introduce any bills […]