Sen. Sherrod Brown announces federal funding to look at expanding Amtrak routes in Ohio, one route includes Lima.  

 President Joe Biden released his proposed defense spending budget in May.   In the budget, he would like to see more money be put in research and development and high-tech weapons.  But he also is looking at cuts for new equipment and other defense work.  That includes proposing cutting 400 million dollars from the one point four billion dollars  secured for the JSMC to modernize  the Abrams Battle Tank.  Senator Sherrod Brown says it is important to fight for domestic, as well as, military needs for this country. 

The U.S. Senate approved President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Saturday. The final vote was 50-49, with all Democrats voting in favor of the bill and all Republicans voting against it.  The passage of the bill was met with cheers and applause from Democrats, celebrating the passage of one of the President's key priorities.  In the relief package was a bill that Senator Sherrod Brown has been working on for six years,  The Butch Lewis Act.  Which would protect people from getting their pensions cut and allow pension programs to take out a loan to get them on solid ground so they can continue support those receiving their pensions.

The U.S. Senate overrides President Trump's veto to pass the National Defense Authorization Act.  In a rare New Year's Day session of the Senate, they overrode the veto by an 81 to 13 vote.  $740 billion dollar defense spending bill includes a 3% pay raise for troops and a boost in hazard duty pay.   It also provides billions in upgrades to military systems and requires the renaming of military bases that honor confederate generals.   President Trump objected to that and a provision that gives broad legal immunity to tech firms.  While some members of the GOP are calling for tech service reforms, many believe that it has nothing to do with national defense and voted for the bill.  Both Ohio Senators voted in support of the bill.   

The emergency COVID relief bill could reach $900 billion and is expected to include funding for vaccine distribution, schools, unemployment assistance at three $300 per week, and another round of stimulus checks to people that fall into a certain income level. Also, as part of the deal, $330 billion will be used for small business loans. Both Ohio senators support getting funding approved soon to get help to those who need it.

There has been a lot of promising news in the last couple of weeks about having a vaccine that could protect against COVID-19.  Drug company, Pfizer, applied for emergency approval of their vaccine with the United States’ Food and Drug Administration.   The company says that their studies show that the vaccine is 95% effective.  The FDA advisory panel could review Pfizer’s data the first part of December, and if they approve the vaccine, people could start to receive it before the end of the year.   Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has introduced a bill that deals with the distributing the vaccine when it is ready to be rolled out. 

The Democratic-led U.S. House went ahead and passed a $2.2 trillion package last Thursday, but the Republican-led U.S. Senate hasn't shown any interest in taking up the bill. One topic on the table is the return of $600 dollars a week in unemployment insurance. When that program ended this summer. Ohio was able to provide and extra $300 a week for six weeks through a FEMA grant and now that money has ended. Senator Sherrod Brown and others want to see the $600 to come back in the next coronavirus package.

President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden kept up their debate-stage clash from the road and the rails as they competed for w…

President Trump's executive orders are looking to help some hit hardest by the impact of the coronavirus and could get lawmakers back to the table to hammer out a deal. 

The executive orders look to defer some payroll taxes for employers and revive an expired unemployment benefits program.  The weekly unemployment benefit of 400 dollars is less than the 600 dollars those out of work had been getting and the order says the individual states will have to pick up one quarter of the cost.   The president threatened to use his executive power because talks for a new deal were at an impasse.  Democrats still trying to push forward a $3.4 trillion deal the U.S. House passed back in May and Republicans are looking closer to a $1.1 trillion COVID relief package.  But both sides are putting the blame on each other.

Last month, the Democratic-led House passed a $3 trillion “Heroes Act”. Republican Senate leaders introduced a $1 trillion package this week, that includes money for schools to reopen and money for childcare centers. But it doesn't include a payroll tax cut that President Trump wanted. There is still a long way to go before an agreement is reached and another sticking point is how to extend the federal unemployment benefits that are set to expire next week.