| | The REAL Inconvenient Truth
Currently, the U.S. Debt is estimated at: $9,849,354,380,955.73 Your share of today's public debt is: $30,891.15
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| | | | Working to Reduce Dependence on Foreign Oil
 As a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Sen. Voinovich has long championed the harmonization of America's economic, energy, environmental and national security policies. He has called for a "Second Declaration of Independence" – from foreign sources of energy, and has pushed for the development of a comprehensive national energy policy that would free the nation from its over-dependence on foreign sources of oil. To that end, he recently introduced the National Energy Security Act of 2009 (NESA), legislation that attacks the issue of energy security head on by reducing the U.S. economy's oil intensity 80 percent by 2050. NESA accomplishes this by setting the country down the path of finding more domestic energy while using less. Under NESA, the nation would increase its supply of domestic energy resources by opening a large portion of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to responsible oil and natural gas development, and then use some of the federal revenues generated through this production to maximize renewable energies like wind and solar. Because 70 percent of our daily oil consumption goes to fueling the transportation sector, NESA includes measures that promote the development of plug-in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles and the infrastructure necessary to adopt these vehicles on a wide scale. NESA also includes support for the next generation nuclear and low-emission coal plants that will be needed to reliably fuel an electric vehicle fleet. | | | |
| | | | Providing Help to Repair Outdated Sewers in Ohio
Recently, Sen. Voinovich teamed up with Sen. Brown to introduce legislation to help Ohio communities make renovations to outdated sewer systems. The Clean Water Affordability Act of 2009 would help Ohio communities struggling to afford costly, but necessary, renovations to sewer systems. It is clear that we are facing an environmental and public health crisis in this country when it comes to water infrastructure, and Sen. Voinovich believes cities should not be expected to spend millions of dollars for water infrastructure upgrades without help from the federal government. His legislation provides a realistic approach for defining a local utility's financial capability regarding long-term control plans to address combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflow controls, and ensure that such control programs are truly affordable for the utility's ratepayers. Along with this legislation, Sens. Voinovich and Brown have released a statewide map of the 86 facilities in Ohio with serious sewage overflow programs. The Clean Water Affordability Act authorizes $1.8 billion over a five year period for a grant program to help financially distressed communities update their aging infrastructure. The program would provide a 75-25 cost share for municipalities to use for planning, design and construction of treatment works to control combined and sanitary sewer overflows. | | | |
| | | | Joining Colleagues on Stimulus Oversight Committee
 Sen. Voinovich (R-OH) recently joined Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and John Thune (R-SD) at a press conference to discuss stimulus oversight and the need to create jobs while better protecting taxpayer dollars. The press conference followed a briefing for senators by Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), on the efforts to oversee the stimulus money spent to date. Sen. Voinovich voted against the stimulus bill because it is weighed down by too much non-stimulative spending and will not provide the jump-start our economy so desperately needs. However, he is determined to play an active oversight role through his committee assignments, along with the Republican Conference, as the stimulus funds are doled out. His goal is to ensure that each and every dollar flowing from this bill is focused on creating jobs, jump-starting the economy, and responding to the human needs brought about by the deep recession our country is experiencing.
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| | | | Standing Up for Fiscal Responsibility
As the Senate's top "debt hawk," Sen. Voinovich recently voted against the passage of S. Con. Res. 13 – the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Resolution. His vote represents his opposition to Congress continuing to ignore America's dire fiscal problems by using smoke and mirrors to mask long-term challenges while taking no action on fundamental entitlement and tax reform. This budget spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much. Sen. Voinovich firmly believes that this is not the time to increase government spending even further, particularly in light of the fact that we already passed the stimulus and omnibus. Instead of dramatically increasing the size of the federal government and spending taxpayer money on expanding government programs we can't afford, Congress should be tackling fundamental entitlement and tax reform. Unfortunately, this budget actually expands some entitlement programs without paying for them, putting the nation on an even faster track to bankruptcy. We are currently facing a projected budget deficit of $1.9 trillion for 2009, which is more than quadruple the reported 2008 deficit of $455 billion. As a share of the economy, the 2009 deficit will become the largest recorded since World War II. | | | |
| | | | Saluting Those Who Serve
 May is National Military Appreciation Month, a month designated by Congress to recognize the men and women of our armed services for their valor on and off the battlefield. Last month, Sen. Voinovich visited future naval leaders at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he toured the campus, watched the noon meal formation in front of Bancroft Hall, and ate lunch with Midshipmen from Ohio. Sen. Voinovich also met with some of the Midshipmen he nominated to the Academy. Admission to a U.S. Service Academy begins with a nomination from an applicant's U.S. senator or member of Congress. Each year, Sen. Voinovich has the privilege of nominating outstanding Ohio high school seniors for admission into one of the United States Service Academies representing the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Merchant Marines and the U.S. Coast Guard. From this list of nominees, the respective U.S. service academies make their selections of appointment. For 200 years, Ohioans have been the first to defend freedom and our country, in extraordinary numbers and with great distinction. Service Academy candidates have the chance to follow a great number of distinct Ohioans who have served this nation proudly. | | |
