Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) told the Mount Vernon News on his U.S. Senate campaign that he wants Ohio to be an arsenal of energy for the United States.
Ryan will face Republican J.D. Vance in the General Election on Nov. 8.
The production of natural gas in Ohio needs to continue, he said.
“I've been a big supporter of it, that we're building power plants in my congressional district [and] we have one built up and running, we just got a deal signed for a second one,” he said.
That is expected to help reduce costs for consumers and businesses.
Solar panels are being built in Toledo, with electric cars, trucks, tractors and batteries manufactured in his Congressional district.
“We've got ourselves positioned to be the arsenal of energy so that the new economy is dominated by the state of Ohio,” he said.
He said the United States can’t keep having culture wars when China’s coming after us, as those issues are irrelevant to the vast majority of the people in the country.
“We've got to create jobs, we’ve got to focus on building the middle class,” Ryan said. “I want people in Knox County to know that I have agreed with Donald Trump. On China, I've agreed with Donald Trump, and voted with Donald Trump on trade issues, on defense issues, on the Space Force.”
The Democrat said he’s fought with Biden, Obama and other Democrats on a variety of issues, even running against Nancy Pelosi to lead the party.
“I'm gonna do what's best for our people and I will get in the fight with absolutely anybody who is trying to do something that's going to negatively affect the people of Ohio,” he said.
Inflation has hammered the people of Ohio, according to Ryan.
“They're getting crushed. And we need to acknowledge how deep the pain is for so many families to be able to try to make ends meet,” he said.
Ryan said that’s why he called for an immediate tax cut for working people to put some money in their pockets to help ride out the pain that they're experiencing right now.
Gas prices have softened recently, but he said people need help now and he’s trying to get the Biden administration to have a level of urgency in the near term.
Passing the infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act, which will allow computer chips to be manufactured at Licking County’s Intel plant, will help bring the supply chain back to the United States, he said. The trend needs to continue so the country doesn’t rely on China for manufactured goods.
Ryan said he’s pushed a Congressional resolution to designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction to increase the resources the federal government can use to combat it.
To keep fentanyl at bay and control immigration, a process is needed to know who comes in and out of the country, he said. America will be a safe haven for refugees and those fleeing for their lives, but using tools like technology, walls and barriers is necessary.
