My Column in the Zanesville Times Recorder:
"JOB BILLS COLLECTING DUST IN THE SENATE"

I thought you may be interested in my column that ran in the Zanesville Times Recorder today.  It is titled, "Job bills collecting dust in the Senate" and I have copied it below, but you can also find it online here.

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Bob

Job bills collecting dust in the Senate

 

It now has been one year since I was sent to Washington to fix a broken process and get our economy moving again. One year later, however, I still am as frustrated as ever with the way Washington manages to get in the way of our economy. As two bills I passed with bipartisan support join 28 other jobs bills sitting forgotten on the U.S. Senate's doorstep for months, I can't help but realize I should add the Senate to the list of Washington insiders who don't like me very much.

 

While Republicans and Democrats might disagree about how to best jump-start the economy and boost employment, my bill, The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, has enjoyed broad bipartisan support. It is a commonsense initiative that would ensure that business owners are not subject to two separate federal regulations where one would suffice. It frees up capital to be spent on job-creating investments instead of dealing with redundant requirements that provide no additional health or environmental benefits.

 

But despite passing the House with a bipartisan super-majority, my bill isn't even considered active in the Senate. It's not only my bills, however. The vast majority of our jobs bills aren't listed as active legislation as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refuses to bring them to the floor for a vote. I repeatedly have called on the Senate to act on this legislation because it is unacceptable that business owners, farmers and local governments across the country soon will be tied up in yet another layer of red tape because of Washington gridlock.

 

As Americans suffer through the Obama economy, it is a disgrace that 28 House-passed jobs bills are collecting dust on Harry Reid's doorstep awaiting action of the Democrat-controlled Senate. The Senate has the right to either vote on these bills as they are written, rework them or scrap them completely and present their own proposals. What the Senate should not do is dodge the process and obstruct any chance at progress. Furthermore, the Senate has not even passed a budget in more than 1,000 days.

 

I join the majority of Ohioans and Americans who are frustrated with the Senate's Washington games and ask you to join me and share your concerns with your senators. Let them know we are tired of Washington's business-as-usual attitude, and we cannot get people back to work if the Senate continues to stall jobs bills for political gain.

 

It is long past the time to stop the partisanship and political gamesmanship in Washington and come together to do what is right for the American people. Washington may not like my approach, but I will continue to fight for the people of Ohio and support policies that stop deficit spending, reign in an out of control bureaucracy with commonsense regulatory reforms, reform the tax code to increase our global competitiveness, and pursue an energy policy that responsibly develops both our natural and renewable sources.