This past year I've been hard at work for the people of Ohio's Second Congressional District. Serving on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I'm advocating for the needs of Buckeye farmers, ranchers, and producers, as well as the trucking industry that keeps our economy moving and secures American supply chain.

I'm fighting to lower costs for American families, protect our hard-earned freedoms, and get the government out of the way of American enterprise so Buckeye businesses can thrive. Earlier this year, I worked with President Trump and Republicans in Congress to pass the Working Families Tax Cuts, which created the largest tax cut for families and small businesses in American history.

• Passed the Laken Riley Act to secure our borders and hold illegal aliens accountable
• Defended fairness and safety for women and girls in sports by supporting the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
• Took a stand against the fentanyl crisis by voting for the HALT Fentanyl Act
• Ended taxpayer giveaways to solar farms on prime farmland
• Returned education decisions to parents and families

With 96% of farms in Ohio being family farms, the local agriculture industry hits very close to home for Ohioans. I'm doing everything I can in Congress to advocate for the needs of Buckeye farmers, ranchers, producers, and consumers. On July 4, President Trump signed the Working Family Tax Cuts into law, which I was proud to help Republicans pass in Congress. This historic bill extended and made permanent the Death Tax exemption for farmers. This means it will be easier for farming families to pass their livelihoods down to future generations.

In September, I introduced a bill to improve drought monitoring through USDA to provide farmers with the most reliable information during dry seasons so they can effectively manage their crops through planting and harvesting.

Food security is national security. In June, I spoke with Secretary Rollins in a House Agriculture Committee hearing about the importance of keeping solar panels off prime American farmland. Secretary Rollins conveyed the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting American farmland. In August, they did just that, announcing that USDA will no longer allocate federal funds toward solar panels on prime farmland.

In October, I spoke with Secretary Rollins again at a Farmers Roundtable in Washington, D.C., where we heard from farmers from across the country about the challenges they're facing. I am honored to be a strong voice to make the needs of local farmers known, and I look forward to continuing to work in collaboration with Ohio agriculture professionals to help our industry boom.

Our law enforcement and first responders are the hometown heroes who keep our communities safe. I am grateful to each and every one of them for their service and have introduced legislation in Congress to support their work.

In January, one of the first bills I voted in support of was H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act. This is a common sense, conservative bill that will enable ICE to hold illegal aliens accountable for their actions, both in border states and in communities across our Nation. As a father of three girls, I can't fathom the anguish that Laken's parents must feel from the senseless murder of their daughter at the hands of an illegal alien. I will continue working in Congress to equip law enforcement with the tools they need to do their jobs and hold criminals accountable for their actions.

I introduced the Fight Fentanyl Act to ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to get illicit drugs out of our neighborhoods and hold fentanyl traffickers accountable. This bill will allocate additional resources toward counties that are experiencing a heavier presence of illicit drugs through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. I was also proud to see President Trump sign the HALT Fentanyl Act into law to further combat the presence of drugs on our streets.

Earlier this year, I visited our southern border with some of my colleagues to thank our hardworking Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and local law enforcement for protecting our country. I heard directly from them about the challenges border communities faced due to the disastrous policies of the Biden-Harris Administration. In Congress, I supported the Agent Raul Gonzales Safety Act, which will establish criminal penalties for fleeing from law enforcement near the border. This bill will further equip border patrol to keep bad actors out of our country.

President Trump is restoring order and security to the disaster caused by the Biden-Harris Administration's reckless policies. Thanks to our President, illegal border crossings have decreased by 95%, according to the White House. Turns out, the only thing we needed to solve the border crisis was a new president!

As a third-generation business owner, I know firsthand how challenging it is to run a business and how government can often get in the way of American enterprise. In Congress, I'm working to cut red tape through my Regulation Decimation Act, which would codify President Trump's executive order requiring ten regulations to be slashed with the introduction of every new one.

For too long, southern Ohio has been disconnected from the modern economy thanks to sparse or non-existent broadband in rural areas. I'm working to fix that. I was proud to launch the bipartisan Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus, where I will serve as a Co-Chair to find solutions that create connectivity in rural communities. I also introduced the Bridging the Broadband Gap Act, the Expanding Broadband Access Across Appalachia Act, and the Rural Broadband Assistance Act to use all available resources to bring broadband to the most rural parts of my district. Expanded broadband would help main streets attract additional business, create more opportunities for family businesses, and give our local economy the helping hand it desperately needs.

This month, Congress passed my Confidence in Clean Water Permits Act in the PERMIT Act to provide much-needed clarity on the vague wastewater disposal requirements at the EPA. American businesses shouldn't be penalized for following the rules, and this bill will lift the stringent regulatory burden that's been felt for too long.

In October, I joined Senator Bernie Moreno, local elected officials, and local leaders at the groundbreaking ceremony at the former Pixelle Paper Mill. The purchase of this site is a long-anticipated moment for our community, and I am elated to see this company's investment in our region and in the former employees of Pixelle. The return of local jobs will bring peace of mind to local families and business for surrounding store owners. I will continue working in Congress to lower taxes for local businesses, create more well-paying local jobs, and help our Appalachian economy thrive.

Education decisions belong in the hands of parents and communities instead of Washington bureaucrats. I applaud the Trump Administration's decision to dismantle the Department of Education while ensuring the uninterrupted availability of services, programs, and benefits that local schools and students depend on. I support school choice across Ohio, our hardworking teachers, and the elimination of bureaucracy in the federal government as we ensure our students receive the best education possible.

This year, I introduced bills to ensure merit-based admittance to universities and expand career development opportunities for youth. I've also had the privilege of touring numerous career and technical education centers focused on training students with practical skills in the trades. These career pathways provide immediate employment for students upon completing their program, setting them up for success in in-demand fields with well-paying jobs.

In September, I welcomed a group of bright students from Wilmington College to Washington, D.C. who are studying to be leaders in the agriculture industry. They certainly made me optimistic about Ohio's future!

This year I was proud to nominate 14 bright and motivated students from Ohio's Second Congressional District for appointment to our Nation's esteemed military academies. If selected by the schools, these students will have the opportunity to obtain a world-class education and will be tomorrow's military leaders.