Dear friend,

Happy Thanksgiving! Today marks an opportunity for all of us to take stock of everything that we are grateful for in our lives. It's also an opportunity to recommit ourselves to making our communities a little bit better than when we found them.

I had that on my mind last week when I joined a bevy of federal, state, and community leaders to announce a new battery cell research center at the Ohio State University. This public-private partnership — between Honda and Ohio State — will revolutionize the assembly and development of electric battery cells.

Such an undertaking could not have been possible without the hard work and cooperation of federal, state, academic, and business leaders.

I was particularly proud to work across the aisle with my Democratic colleagues, Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Joyce Beatty, to help secure $4.5 million in federal funding for the research center. The federal investment will be used for a state-of-the-art dry room, which is vital for the manufacture of battery cells because of the extreme moisture sensitivity of the necessary components.

I'm grateful for our ability to work together in tandem to expand job and education opportunities for so many Ohioans.

It's been a busy few weeks in Washington. Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to avert a costly government shutdown ahead of the holidays.

Thanks to the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson, the House and Senate will now have more time to negotiate a conservative, common-sense spending package. By passing a short-term funding bill, House Republicans also blocked Senate Democrats from trying to force through a last-minute, mega-spending bill before Christmas.

House Republicans have already passed more than 70% of our appropriations bills for the year and are committed to passing the rest.

I was also proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with my good friend, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, to help save the National Children's Museum.

The National Children's Museum is one of the only museums in our nation's capital that caters to children of all ages with a combination of exhibits focusing on history and science. Every year, it provides tens of thousands of families a prime educational experience during their visit to Washington, D.C.

Despite being a cherished national landmark, the National Children's Museum is the only congressionally designated museum that is required to pay rent in a federally-owned building. The museum's leadership team has warned that because of growing operating costs it might be forced to shutter in the future without federal help.

Our bill would give the museum rent-free space within the federally-owned Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center near the National Mall. Representative Norton and I are working to secure a hearing on the bill within the next few weeks.

This week, I was proud to chair a field hearing of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Our hearing exposed the negative impact of federal regulations on the Social Security benefits of many retired public servants, including teachers, police officers, and firefighters.

Currently, the federal government cuts the Social Security benefits of some retired public servants or their survivors by nearly two-thirds. This is the result of antiquated regulations that view federal, state, and local employee pensions as an alternative to Social Security, rather than a supplement.

Economists estimate that about three million Americans — including retired police officers and firefighters — have their Social Security benefits cut because of these regulations. This also impacts the families of deceased public servants who are eligible to receive their Social Security benefits.

House Republicans are working to learn more about the issue and exploring potential ways to rectify it, while ensuring Social Security will be there for everyone who earned their benefits.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee held an important hearing examining the rise of anti-semitism and violence on America's college campuses and how many of our leading universities have responded in a lackluster fashion.

This hearing was especially timely given the recent attacks against Jewish students at my alma mater, the Ohio State University. While Ohio State's administration has been quick to denounce the attacks and taken appropriate steps to combat anti-semitism, the work goes on.

Too many young Jewish men and women across the country are worried about their safety, while Hamas apologists are given free rein to espouse vile hate.

I ran for office to deliver real results for the people of central Ohio. Since the start of this year, our team has:

Secured $3.53 million for constituents from state and federal agencies.
Closed more than 1,109 cases.

Our team provides a wide variety of services to the people of Ohio’s 15th congressional district. If you are having any issues with Social Security, veterans benefits, or the IRS, our office might be able to help. Click HERE to get started.

There are thousands of federal grants available to constituents, everything from agriculture subsidies to small business loans. If you need help with a federal grant or want to apply for a federal click HERE for more information.

Our team is also looking for interns in both Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio. If interested please apply click HERE to apply.