Now is the time of year when I file my returns. I am not talking about my tax returns, but rather the returns I have brought for hardworking Ohio taxpayers.
Every year, my staff and I work diligently to compile my Annual Report – a document highlighting the year’s accomplishments and the issues I have been working on as a United States Senator. I find it to be an extremely effective way for me to hold myself accountable to you, the taxpayer.
I concentrate my efforts in the Senate on four broad themes: fiscal responsibility, national security, American competitiveness and improving government. My Annual Report is broken down into these four categories, reflecting how my work in the Senate meets my promises to Ohioans. Additionally, I have an entire section dedicated to the work I have done in serving Ohio first.
Think of the Annual Report as your way to “audit” your senator. Your judgment of my service means a lot to me and I am very pleased with what we have accomplished in the past year.
Some of the highlights include: The passage of the simulative Housing and Economic Recovery Act; passage of the PRO-IP Act which rewards more than three years of work on improving Intellectual Property (IP) enforcement; Senate passage of my bill to reauthorize the Appalachian Regional Commission over five years; enactment of the Great Lakes Compact and the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 to help keep the Great Lakes great for our grandchildren; introducing the WIRED Act to ensure a well-trained workforce for our economy; introducing the MADE in the USA Tax Act to eliminate tax breaks that encourage companies to move jobs overseas; and, finally, Senate passage of the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 2008 to simplify the federal grant making process.
While this is a great start, there is still more to be done. I am fortunate to continue service on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change and Nuclear Safety. I also serve on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and serve as ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia. In addition, I have been appointed to the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
For further details on the many accomplishments we saw in the 110th Congress, please contact my office and request your own copy of the Annual Report, which is available now. Or, to view an electronic version of the document, please visit my Web site at www.voinovich.senate.gov and click on the “News Center” section.
While you’re on my Web site, please also sign up for my monthly E-Newsletter, which is a great way to stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and throughout Ohio. Once on the site, simply scroll down the left-hand side of the page for the “E-Newsletter Signup” button.
I find my work and responsibilities in the United States Senate to be deeply fulfilling because I know that, with your help, we are making a difference for Ohio and our nation – particularly for our children and grandchildren.
You have put a great trust in me and I am thankful for the privilege to serve you. And I look forward to hearing your ideas on how together we can make Ohio and the nation a better place to live.
