On Tuesday, Nov. 8, America spoke and demanded to be heard. In a stunning rebuke to the Washington establishment and Beltway insiders, the electorate catapulted the ultimate outsider to victory and declared enough is enough. Washington is meant to serve the interests of the people, not elected officials, government bureaucracy or special interests.
This was a hard-fought election. There will understandably be sorrow and bitterness, but the beauty of democracy is that after Election Day, we remember that regardless of whether we identify as a Republican, Democrat or Independent, we are all Americans. We are united by our common ideals and belief in the opportunities our great nation has to offer. I was encouraged by the words of President-elect Trump, Secretary Clinton and President Obama in their calls for unity and respect going forward. Regardless of your political persuasion, we are all invested in the success of Donald Trump and of America. Now is the time to unite and move forward together as a country.
I am proud to have supported Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. The president-elect brings with him to the White House an extensive résumé and the real life business experience Washington sorely needs. As a business owner myself, I find this experience invaluable to the task before him.
The fiscal state of our nation is dire. We have a $20 trillion national debt, and our government’s spending obsession continues unabated. That is why I introduced the Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution in Congress, which would require both chambers of Congress to receive an annual presentation from the Comptroller General on the financial position and condition of the federal government. This is the wakeup call Congress needs. Companies must outline budgets and live within them. Donald Trump, as a fellow business owner, understands the importance of this too, and I know we can find common ground on this issue.
Donald Trump and I are both passionate about tax reform. He too knows we must lower individual and corporate income taxes to spur economic growth and create new jobs. I have released my own tax plan, Simplifying America’s Tax System, which also lowers individual rates and replaces the corporate income tax with a consumption tax. Though the details of the plans differ, the sentiment and goals are the same: we must reform the tax code and remove barriers to economic growth to spur innovation and job creation.
The President-elect has also called attention to our crumbling and failing infrastructure. For example, in 2013 the American Society for Civil Engineers scored Ohio no better than a C on eight different measures of infrastructure quality. I know Congress can be a willing partner in improving our roads and bridges because I sponsored a bill to guarantee proper funding for the nation’s Highway Trust Fund that enjoyed bipartisan support. If President Trump presents an infrastructure plan next year, Congress must be ready to work with him, and I will continue to be a leading advocate for infrastructure reform.
As we move forward in the coming months, I am eager to see how the Trump Administration begins taking shape. Donald Trump ran on a platform of economic dynamism, and he has the skills and experience to bring this to fruition with the support of Congress. I look forward to working with the new administration and believe great policies and an even greater economic environment are on the horizon.