After Securing Important Victories in 2020, Brown Looks Ahead to Ohio-Focused Priorities in 2021

 

Senator Will Continue Working to Improve the Lives of Ohioans and Strengthen Communities across the State

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 6, 2021) – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a news conference call after a year of securing important wins for Ohio in 2020. Brown discussed the victories he secured for the state and his priorities ahead in 2021.

“We were able to secure important wins for our state, but of course we know we have a lot more work to do this year to support Ohio communities through this pandemic. We need to get people vaccinated, and back to work and back to school safely,” said Brown. “And we need to make sure it’s not just Wall Street that recovers. We all remember what happened after the last recession, when big corporations did better than ever, but communities like ours struggled for years. I’ll be fighting to make sure that communities of color, small towns, and neighborhoods all over Ohio aren’t left behind again.”

Brown was joined on the call by Rev. Dr. Orlando B. Yates, Senior Pastor of Union Baptist Church, to speak about Brown successfully passing his African American Burial Grounds Study Act through the Senate after visiting the cemetery in 2019.

In 2020, Brown helped secure a number of meaningful victories for Ohio, including:

·       Senate passage of his African American Burial Grounds Study Actwhich lay the groundwork for the creation of a voluntary, nationwide network of African American burial grounds, a bill that was inspired by Brown’s visit to Union Baptist Cemetery in Cincinnati.

·       Sending several bipartisan bills to President Trump’s desk to become law, including his Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Actwhich will help nonprofits, state and local governments and federally recognized Tribes remain financially viable during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his bill to reauthorize the Healthy Start Program, which aims to reduce the national infant mortality rate.

·       A number of year-end wins in the government funding package, including his legislation to help prevent youth homelessness as well as provisions to end surprise medical bills protect seniors from out-of-pocket costs for preventive colonoscopiespermanently lower taxes on craft beverages, help working Ohioans claim a higher tax refund, fund Ohio’s military installations, and invest in NASA and in ongoing cleanup at the Piketon plant.

·       As part of the COVID-relief package, Brown also helped secure rental and utility assistance, stimulus checks for Ohioans, 11 additional weeks of unemployment benefits and funding for small businesses and healthcare providers.

In 2021, Brown will continue to work to improve the lives of Ohioans and strengthen communities throughout the state, including working to secure additional COVID-19 relief, fighting for retirement security for Ohio workers and working to combat infant mortality and racial injustice.