I hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving holiday.

President Trump continues fighting for the American people and for the integrity of our elections. Democrats disputed the results of the 2016 election for years with no evidence of any wrongdoing, and now conservatives must stand with the president as lawsuits across the country continue finding irregularities from the November 3rd election.

To offer the president your continued support, you can visit GOP.com to donate. Additionally, if you see signs of voter irregularities and fraud, you can report them here.

We must also focus our attention on the Georgia Senate races. We must maintain our conservative majority in the Senate, or else we risk the Democrats’ socialist policies taking over both chambers of Congress. The fight for free and fair elections continues in Georgia. If you are interested in helping us win two very important Senate races, you can Volunteer Here! 

A new video highlights Senator Portman’s participation in the ENSEMBLE phase 3 trial for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Johnson & Johnson and managed by CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services (CTI) at its research center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At a time when COVID-19 cases are surging in Ohio and across the country and only about half of Americans have confidence in the upcoming vaccines, Portman felt it was important to participate in a vaccine trial to raise awareness of the safety and effectiveness while encouraging others to participate as well. In the video, he discusses the importance of the vaccines to ensure Americans feel comfortable returning to retail establishments, schools, the workplace and gathering with friends and family. Portman also applauds the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed, which has led the unprecedented development of the vaccine candidates.

The video can be found here.

DeWine Signs Certificate Appointing Trump Electors

On Thursday, Governor DeWine issued a video on Twitter wishing Ohioans a Happy Thanksgiving.

On Friday, Governor DeWine signed Ohio’s Certificate of Ascertainment, which identifies the appointed electors and final vote count in Ohio for each candidate in the U.S. Presidential Election held on November 3, 2020.

Ohio’s Certificate of Ascertainment shows the most popular votes, 3,154,834, for Donald J. Trump and Michael R. Pence.

“As Chief Executive of the State of Ohio, I certified today the Certificate of Ascertainment, which is a part of the electoral process in our state,” said Governor DeWine. “I want to thank Ohio voters for exercising their right to vote, as well as all of our poll workers, local election officials, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose for a smooth democratic election process in Ohio.”

The Certificate of Ascertainment is the legal document that links the popular vote in Ohio to the electoral process. Federal law requires the Chief Executive of each state to certify the Certificate of Ascertainment.

The State meetings of the electors will be held on December 14, 2020. At the meetings, the electors vote for President and Vice President.

Under Ohio law, the candidate with the most popular votes in Ohio receives all 18 of Ohio’s electoral college votes, which will be cast by the electors:

Ken Blackwell, Bonnie Ward, Barbara Clark, Keith Cheney, Mark Wagoner, Dave Johnson, Joy Padgett, Patti Alderson, Steve Loomis, Rob Scott, Patricia Weber, Robert Paduchik, Karen Arshinkoff, James Wert, Jim Canepa, Jane Timken, Darrell Scott, Madison Gesiotto

As the final results of the election continue to play out, it is important that we allow recounts and law suits to run their course to ensure it was a free and fair election. As of November 19th, there are a combined 485 sworn declarations in 5 states and there have been more than 13,500 incident reports filed in those states since Election Day. We must continue supporting President Trump and see this through.

In Georgia, it is imperative we continue the fight for the two Senate seats that will now have run off elections in January. If it is determined that Joe Biden is truly our next president, we must keep his liberal policies in check by maintaining a Republican majority in the Senate. Georgia Democrats have been attacking the safeguards of our elections processes for years, and we must fight to maintain conservative control of these seats.

We need people to volunteer their time to ensure that we win these run-offs. If you are interested in helping us win two of the most important Senate races in our nation’s history, you can Volunteer Here! 

Our Thanksgiving celebrations may look different this year, but I wish you all a safe and happy holiday spent with loved ones.

On Fox News’s The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino, Senator Portman discussed his participation in the ENSEMBLE phase 3 trial for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Johnson & Johnson and managed by CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services (CTI) at its research center in Cincinnati, Ohio. At a time when COVID-19 cases are surging in Ohio and across the country and only about half of Americans have confidence in the upcoming vaccines, Portman felt it was important to participate in a vaccine trial to raise awareness of the safety and effectiveness while encouraging others to participate as well. He discussed the importance of the vaccines to ensure Americans feel comfortable returning to retail establishments, schools, the workplace and gathering with friends and family. Portman also applauded the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed, which has led the unprecedented development of the vaccine candidates and urged his fellow elected officials to stop casting doubt on a potential vaccine for the sake of political victories.

In addition, Portman discussed the need for Congress to come together and negotiate in good faith on a bipartisan COVID-19 relief package that bolsters our health care response, helps our economy and small businesses continue to recover, provides funding for schools and state and local governments, permanently expands telehealth options for addiction treatment, and provides enhanced federal unemployment benefits to help people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Portman has given 18 floor speeches calling for bipartisan action focused on the bipartisan areas of agreement, saying that now is the time to put aside political differences and act on behalf of the American people.

The interview can be found here.

DeWine Urges Ohioans to Continue COVID Efforts; Launches New PSA

On Monday and Wednesday, Governor DeWine, joined by local medical professionals, traveled across the state to hold press conferences in areas heavily affected by COVID-19. From his home in rural Cedarville to some of Ohio’s largest cities, Governor DeWine continued to plead with Ohioans to not let up on their efforts to protect themselves and others while awaiting a vaccine.

“Every single day, do something that cuts back on your contacts with other people,” said Governor DeWine at Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport. “If we don’t step up now, a lot of things we cherish are going to take a heavy, heavy hit.”

On Thursday, Governor DeWine shared the Ohio Department of Health’s new COVID-19 public service announcement by CBS sports analyst and former basketball player for Ohio State University and the NBA, Clark Kellogg. Kellogg also spoke during the press conference on Ohioans’ grit, perseverance, teamwork, and unity.

“My hope and prayer is simply this: That we all, as Ohioans, as citizens of this great state and country we live in, that we not grow weary in the doing of good, for we know that the harvest comes as we don’t give up,” said Kellogg. “And I hope that message resonates with all of us as we move into a challenging and difficult period here in the next several weeks. But victory’s on the other side; we just have to stay committed and vigilant in those things that we can do for ourselves and for each other.”

Kellogg’s public service announcement is available at https://youtu.be/5t87JKmzgEo

The fight for ballot integrity is not yet over as Republicans across the country pursue legal challenges to ensure November’s election was free and fair. As Americans, we are entitled to safe and secure election processes. For four years, President Trump has put Americans, and America, first. He has continually fought to keep the American Dream alive and to implement policies that made a real difference in the lives of many people living in this nation. With slim margins and many voting irregularities, we owe it to the president and voters to see this through to the end.

We are prepared to accept the outcome, whatever it may be, while knowing we have done our best to fight for election integrity. If you would like to contribute to the fight for fair elections, you can visit gop.com to donate. If you have witnessed any voting irregularities, click here to report fraud.

On Friday, I directed some of my staff to go down to Georgia to help hold the U.S. Senate. It is imperative that Republicans keep a hold on those seats, or we risk letting the liberal elites run our country.

We need people to volunteer their time to ensure that we win these run-offs. If you are interested in helping us win two of the most important Senate races in our nation’s history, click below and fill out the form.

Last week, on the Senate floor, for the 18th time since March, U.S. Senator Rob Portman spoke on the urgency for Congress to act to pass bipartisan legislation to respond to the health care and economic crises caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Portman called on Congress to provide the relief Americans need and deserve. In particular, he believes funding for testing and contact tracing, funding for vaccine and therapy developments, and his Healthy Workplaces Tax Credit, which helps businesses reopen and stay open, are all common-sense proposals with bipartisan support upon which a new COVID-19 response package should be built. He urged his colleagues to put aside the partisanship that has stymied previous efforts to pass COVID-19 relief legislation and focus on solutions that help the American people.

The video of the floor speech can be found here.

DeWine Asks Ohioans to Mask Up to Keep Businesses Open

On Wednesday, Governor DeWine called on citizens to recommit to their individual efforts to prevent coronavirus spread as Ohio moves through its most intense, widespread, and dangerous surge of cases to date.

Ohio is currently facing a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and intensive care admissions, with nearly 3,000 people in the hospital, including more than 700 people in the ICU as of Wednesday. During the first week of November alone, 104 Ohioans infected with the coronavirus died.

“With this new wave of COVID-19, the onset of flu season, and an already-exhausted group of healthcare workers, there are serious concerns that there won’t be enough people to fully staff our healthcare facilities in the next few weeks,” said Governor DeWine. “If we don’t change this, Ohio won’t be able to provide appropriate care for COVID patients or for Ohioans who require other emergency care for things like accidents, strokes, and heart attacks. Hospitals will again be forced to postpone important, but less urgent, care.”

Although testing capacity in Ohio has nearly doubled, the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus has increased almost four times. At the end of September, Ohio averaged under 1,000 new cases per day; on Tuesday, Ohio hit a record high of more than 6,500 new cases reported in a single 24-hour period.

“As we wait for the vaccine, which could come as soon as December, we have so much to protect,” said Governor DeWine. “What each Ohioan does in his or her own life impacts every citizen and every place we desperately want and need to keep open– our schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and businesses.”

To reinforce the necessity of wearing masks and slowing virus spread, Governor DeWine announced two forthcoming orders:

REVISED MASK ORDER

Although most people and businesses have properly followed COVID-19 safety guidelines issued in Ohio’s July 23, 2020, mask order, others are not following the order.

To protect frontline workers and customers, the Ohio Department of Health will reissue Ohio’s mask order and add the following provisions:

• Each store will be required to post a sign outlining face-covering requirements at all public entrances to the store;
• Each store will be responsible for ensuring that customers and employees are wearing masks; and
• A new Retail Compliance Unit, comprised of agents led by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, will inspect to ensure compliance. A first violation will result in a written warning and a second violation will result in closure of the store for up to 24 hours.

NEW SOCIAL GATHERING ORDER

Ohio’s April order that limits public events and private gatherings of more than 10 people is still in effect, however, there has been rampant spread of the virus as a result of banquets, wedding receptions, and social gatherings following funerals.

To address the tragedies that have resulted from such events, the Ohio Department of Health will issue an order that will place significant new restrictions on these social activities. Specifically, open congregate areas will no longer be permitted to open, and everyone will be required to be seated and masked unless they are actively consuming food or drinks.

Bars, restaurants, and fitness centers may remain open, but this will be reassessed one week from tomorrow for potential closure.

“If the current trend continues and cases keep increasing, we will be forced to make these closures,” said Governor DeWine. “I am very well aware of the burden this will place on employees and owners, but these are places where it is difficult or impossible to maintain mask-wearing, which we know now is the chief way of slowing this virus.”

For Governor DeWine’s entire address, visit ohiochannel.org or read his prepared remarks at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

The Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund provides $2,500 for those permit holders who haven’t been able to fully use their liquor permit. Businesses with an on-premise consumption permit through the Ohio Department of Commerce will be eligible to receive $2,500 per unique business location. Businesses need to have an active on-premise permit as of close of business on October 23, 2020.

More information can be found at BusinessHelp.Ohio.gov.

Election Day was once again a success for Republicans across Ohio. We held the supermajority in the Ohio House, electing great conservative leaders who will represent our values and voices in the Statehouse. President Trump once again swept Ohio, winning the state by nearly the same margin he won by in 2016 – 8%. As I said on election night, it was the president’s America First policies that resonated with Ohioans, along with a general conservative message that propelled state Republicans to leadership roles. Ohio Republicans also picked up seats in the Ohio Senate, maintaining the conservative majority there as well.

The Democrats’ messaging of defunding police, far-left socialist policies, raising taxes, and forcing government-run healthcare on Americans simply does not resonate in Ohio. We even flipped Mahoning County red. Ohio Democrats’ hopes to flip Republican seats and suburban districts turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking.

I am incredibly proud of our Republican candidates and all the hard work they put in to ensure another victorious election year in Ohio.

As you all know, I support our President and I believe in fair and secure elections. We need to ensure that every legal vote is counted, no illegal votes are counted, and all sides are able to observe the process, just like in Ohio. That’s why as soon as November 3rd, Ohio Republican Party and Ohio Trump/Victory staff headed to Pennsylvania and Michigan to help make sure that there were no inconsistencies with the voting process in those states. It’s crucial that all Americans are confident in our election process and its outcomes.

Lastly, there are two elections still to come that need our attention. The coming runoff elections in Georgia will decide who controls the U.S. Senate. Senator Portman needs to keep his conservative colleagues, so we must do all we can to support Senator David Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler

DeWine Continues COVID Fight with New Health Director

On Sunday, Governor DeWine released an open letter to the people of Ohio leading up to the election calling for unity and renewed commitment to fighting the coronavirus.

“Today, and for some time to come, we also share a common enemy…an enemy that is relentless and clearly on the march. This enemy has invaded our nation, stealing nearly 230,000 American lives and at least 5,300 Ohio lives–all on our own soil,” said Governor DeWine. “Throughout our history, in the face of a shared enemy, we have come together as a people, whether we were in the midst of a war or a national disaster, such as a flood or tornado.”

A video recording of Governor DeWine reading the letter is available by clicking  this link.

On Thursday, Governor DeWine announced multiple key additions to the existing administration at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

Director Stephanie McCloud: Director McCloud previously served as Governor DeWine’s administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, managing an agency of 1,800 colleagues and over $28 billion in assets. She has considerable experience in the area of mental health and addiction treatment which is a priority in Ohio’s health improvement plan.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff: Dr. Vanderhoff previously served for more than a decade as a Senior Vice President and as the Chief Medical Officer at OhioHealth. He has years of experience leading large teams in successfully dealing with important healthcare issues in Ohio and prepared OhioHealth to deal with the threat of Ebola and the H1N1 flu pandemic.

Senior Deputy Lance Himes: Himes had previously served as the interim director of ODH where he has played an integral role in running and managing many aspects of the pandemic response operation. He will lead the coordination of the state’s vaccine distribution plan and will continue to work directly with Ohio’s local health commissioners.

Chief of Staff Kathleen Madden: Madden had previously served as Assistant Director at the Ohio Office of Budget and Management and will now play a key role in keeping ODH’s pandemic and non-pandemic programs and operations on track. She will work to prioritize and resolve critical issues, provide oversight and guidance to ODH staff, and ensure that ODH funds are spent responsibly and strategically.

Other key members of the ongoing COVID-19 response who will continue their roles in assisting ODH are:

Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Harris, Ohio National Guard: Maj. Gen. Harris will continue work to ensure complex operations, such as COVID testing and contact tracing, are well-coordinated, monitored, and improved when necessary.  He will also work directly with Senior Deputy Himes on the planning and logistics of the forthcoming vaccine distribution program.

Director Ursel McElroy, Ohio Department of Aging: Director McElroy will continue to direct virus prevention efforts for older adults in the community and in long-term settings, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Director Lori Criss, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services: Director Criss will continue to lead efforts to address the increasing mental health needs of citizens during the pandemic.

Governor DeWine also announced that John Logue, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s (BWC) Chief of Strategic Direction, will become the new administrator of Ohio BWC effective on November 16.

Logue has worked for 26 years in the industry. Before returning to BWC in 2019, he most recently served as the vice president of client services for International Absence Management Company where he focused on Ohio workers’ compensation.

HUSTED TALKS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BIPARTISANSHIP AFTER ELECTION

Lt. Governor Jon Husted last week spoke at the Impact Ohio Post Election Conference, where he discussed what the administration is doing to improve broadband, strengthen Ohio’s workforce and end costly regulations that hinder job growth. 

The Lt. Governor also advocated for collaboration and building bridges to tackle the issues and challenges Ohioans face in their daily lives. 

The unofficial results from the November 3rd election show 5,812,804 Ohioans voted in the 2020 General Election, already breaking the all-time record of 5,773,777 set in 2008. 

“The old saying from my time in the military is ‘you sweat in peacetime so you don’t bleed in battle’,” said LaRose. “Partnering with the county boards of elections, we sweated throughout the spring and summer to boost participation in early voting opportunities, make sure voters were safe, voting systems were secure, and enough poll workers trained and ready. And it worked. Ohio shattered the record and voters proved it’s easy to make your voice heard in the Buckeye State.”

DeWine Requests BWC Send $5 Billion Dividend to Ohio Employers

On Wednesday, Governor DeWine was joined by Lt. Governor Husted to request the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) send up to $5 billion in dividends to Ohio employers to ease the continued financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘This pandemic is unprecedented, and continues to financially impact Ohio employers and businesses,” said Governor DeWine. “Issuing these dividends is important. This is about keeping businesses open and people employed.”

If approved by BWC’s Board of Directors, it would bring the total dividend dollars for employers this year to nearly $8 billion.

More information is available at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/resources/news-releases-news-you-can-use/covid-19-update-10-28-20

Husted Discusses More Resources for Ohio Job Creators