Portman continues working hard for Ohioans
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While he announced he would not seek reelection as the senator from Ohio in 2022, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman vowed on Tuesday that he will continue to work hard for Ohioans.
The focal point of Portman’s conference call with Ohio reporters was his decision, which included wanting to spend more time with his family and the opportunity to support his community as the attrition of partisan politics has waned on the veteran Republican.
He pledged to focus on legislative work in his last two years, working on pandemic relief — he’s participated in testing of a new vaccine — and issues he’s long been involved with, such as fighting drug addiction.
“I think we will get a lot done like we always have,” he added.
Portman said he was confident in getting leg
islation done because of his ability to focus on results and work across the aisle. He noted 82 bills he was a part of were signed into law under President Donald Trump and 68 under the Obama administration as he hopes for the same success under President Joe Biden.
“But it is harder and harder to get things done,” he added. “It is harder to break through the partisanship and in terms of the positives and negatives of public service, that has contributed to my decision.”
Portman gave an example of that partisanship in Washington with the House of Representatives’ interest in moving to a reconciliation of Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Instead of needing a 60vote majority, reconciliation would simply need 50 votes to pass without the need for bipartisan support from Republicans.
“I think this is really disappointing and I think it runs counter to everything President Biden said on the stage during his inaugural,” Portman said. “He wanted to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans and Democrats to get things done and stop the partisan gridlock that has gripped this town.
“I hope that everybody will take a breath, step back and read the inaugural speech again and take that approach. I thought that speech that President Biden gave was encouraging and it hasn’t translated into action.”
After 30 years in Washington, Portman was looking forward to spending more time with his family in Ohio, more involvement in the community and the family business, getting back into the private sector, working with nonprofit organizations again and staying involved in public policy issues.
“All those things are impossible to do with this current job,” he added.
As for who could take Portman’s seat, the Republican thought announcing not to seek reelection in 2022 would give Republicans plenty of time to gear up for a statewide race while Portman remains actively involved.
Some names that surfaced as potential candidates from several news outlets included U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, Jon Husted, the state’s lieutenant governor and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
Portman, who served in the presidential administrations of both Bushes, was under consideration by both John McCain and Mitt Romney to be their running mates in their respective presidential bids.
He was elected to Congress from southern Ohio in a 1993 special election and won six more elections before being tapped by President George W. Bush to serve as U.S. trade representative in 2005. He traveled the globe, negotiating dozens of trade agreements before Bush nominated him to be his White House budget director in 2006.
Portman stepped down in 2007, then returned to politics in 2010 with a successful U.S. Senate run, and won again in 2016, both times by landslide margins in a traditional swing state.
Portman, who turned 65 last month, said it was time for him to leave, and added that Republicans losing the majority in the Senate did not have an impact on his decision nor did Trump not being reelected as president.
“Would it have made a difference in terms of the environment? I assume it would have,” Portman added. “I don’t think President Trump has been helpful in terms of closing that partisan gap — I think that gridlock has been building for decades — but I think he contributed to it.”
Portman was asked about his stance on the impeachment trial of Trump after the House delivered the lone impeachment charge of “incitement of insurrection,” on Monday. Portman pointed to his duty as a juror to listen as he did in the first impeachment trial.
“I plan to listen, I plan to ask questions, including about the constitutionality of holding a Senate trial when someone is already out of office,” Portman said.