Rob Portman

The state’s two U.S. Senators are teaming up to encourage federal contractors to put more effort into buying American-made products. 

A federal court has denied Ohio’s request to delay new congressional map drawing. The request was filed after the court ruled that the current district lines are gerrymandered to benefit Republicans. The state says it’s still looking to the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the decision pending its appeal. But a top Ohio Democrat says now is the time for the state to get the ball rolling on drawing the new congressional districts. 

“A summary report is not enough,” Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown wrote in a statement Sunday following the release of a summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s findings by Attorney General William Barr.

Brown said the U.S. Justice Department should provide Congress with the full report.

“It’s important that the American public have the answers they deserve about the full scope of the Mueller report and its findings,” Brown said.

Last week U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer launched what Politico called a charm offensive on Capitol Hill amid high-profile trade deals being sought with China, and Canada and Mexico, among others. Some Democrats in the House majority have voiced concerns over the deal to replace NAFTA, especially over labor and environmental regulations.  

Rob Portman, Ohio's junior senator – who doesn’t have to worry about running for re-election until 2022 – is really hard to figure out sometimes.

Ohio's Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman says he welcomes a lawsuit filed by the United Auto Workers that accuses General Motors of breach of contract for closing several factories, including its Lordstown assembly plant.

He said the impact of the planned closure is already rippling through the economy of the Mahoning Valley and making a bad situation worse.

“These suppliers are starting to shutter their doors too.  So I support what the UAW is trying to do, which is to get them to make good on their commitments and to keep production at that plant,” Portman said.