Category: News

  • NEW: Jon Husted’s Files for Reelection After a Year of Driving Up Costs For Ohioans

    Columbus, Ohio — To mark Jon Husted officially filing for reelection today, here is a look back at his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year since being appointed to the U.S. Senate.

    Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement: 

    “Jon Husted has spent his year in Washington cutting Ohioans’ health care, driving up their premiums, and making everything from groceries to energy bills more expensive. Ohioans are fed up with Jon Husted’s failed cost-spiking agenda — and they’ll send him packing next year.”

    Read more about Jon Husted’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year:

    Jon Husted voted for the largest cut to Medicaid in history, giving tax breaks to billionaires while leaving Ohioans behind:

    • Jon Husted called the cuts to health care “purposeful” and said he “loves doing that kind of stuff,” even as families, seniors, and rural communities across Ohio face losing life saving coverage.

    To make matters worse, Jon Husted voted nine times against lowering insurance premiums as health care costs skyrocket for Ohio families: 

    • More than half a million Ohioans will see their healthcare premiums get more expensive or risk losing coverage entirely if Jon Husted allows tax credits that help families afford coverage to expire at the end of the month.

    Jon Husted doubled down on his support for the reckless tariffs that are crushing Ohio farmers and ranchers:

    • Meanwhile, Husted has been silent as a $40 billion taxpayer-funded bailout goes to Argentina and the U.S. quadruples beef imports from the very country undercutting American farmers and ranchers.
    • The Husted-backed tariffs are costing a Grove City manufacturer millions of dollars in business, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs. When the company reached out to Jon Husted, his only response was that he “passed along” the concern to the administration.

    As families, small businesses, and Ohioans across the state struggle with rising costs, Jon Husted is nowhere to be found:

    • Because of the Husted-backed tariffs sending costs soaring, some small businesses in Northeast Ohio may need to close. 
    • Ohioans are furious as electricity bills have doubled during Jon Husted’s year in office. They are expected to increase even further next year.
    • Meanwhile, Jon Husted claimed that the affordability crisis only exists in “blue states” and not in Ohio — ignoring the harsh reality for Ohioans that are paying more thanks to his own affordability crisis.

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  • Jon Husted’s Newest Solution to the Affordability Crisis: ‘EARN MORE’

    Husted Voted for Ninth Time Against Lowering Health Care Premiums

    Columbus, Ohio — Today, Jon Husted rolled out his newest “solution” to combat high costs and address Ohio’s affordability crisis: “Earn more.”

    On Fox Business this morning, as families struggle to make ends meet, Husted’s first suggestion was that Ohioans should simply earn more money. Husted’s new idea comes on the same day he voted for the ninth time against lowering health care costs for Ohio families. 

    WATCH HERE:

    Transcript: 

    Jon Husted: “Look, there are three ways to make things more affordable: Earn more, keep more of what you earn, and drive down prices. And that’s exactly what we’re doing in Congress […].

    Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement: 

    “Jon Husted’s message to Ohio families struggling with skyrocketing health care premiums, higher energy bills, and soaring grocery costs is simple: you’re on your own. Ohioans deserve a Senator who will actually fight to lower costs — not a politician who lectures families while voting to make everything more expensive.”

    Jon Husted’s comments come after a year of making life more expensive for Ohioans: 

    • Husted has supported reckless tariffs driving up costs for Ohio farmers, small businesses, and families, claiming “the policies are working.”

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  • VOTE ALERT: Jon Husted Votes Again to Make Health Care More Expensive — His Ninth Vote This Year

    Columbus, Ohio — Today, Senator Jon Husted once again voted to raise health care costs for Ohio families — the ninth time this year he has voted against lowering insurance premiums. 

    Because of Husted’s votes, more than half a million Ohioans are bracing for skyrocketing premiums as the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire. Husted has dismissed the ACA tax credits as “not the way to go about it” and claimed they do “nothing to drive down the cost of health care.”

    Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement: 

    “Jon Husted just voted for the ninth time to make health care more expensive for more than half a million Ohioans. This is Jon Husted’s health care crisis, and families across Ohio are now bracing for their premiums to double or even triple next year.” 

    Read more about Jon Husted’s health care crisis:

    • When asked how best to help working families afford health insurance, Jon Husted said the ACA tax credits were “not the way to go about it.”
    • More than half a million Ohioans will see their healthcare premiums get more expensive or risk losing coverage entirely if Jon Husted allows tax credits that help families afford coverage to expire at the end of the month.
    • The average 60-year-old couple could see a $1,300 increase in their premiums on average. That’s an entire paycheck for most Ohioans.

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  • NEW REPORT: Husted Pushes to Raise Costs for Ohioans

    Columbus, Ohio — Jon Husted wants to send health care costs soaring for Ohio families, according to new reporting from Ohio Capital Journal.

    Health insurance premiums are set to skyrocket for an estimated 583,000 Ohioans as the ACA tax credits expire. Husted has already voted eight times against lowering health care premiums and continues to attack the ACA tax credits that Ohioans rely on, claiming they are “not the way to go about it.”

    Read more:

    Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio U.S. Sen. Jon Husted wants to “freeze” ACA insurance subsidies

    • With health insurance costs poised to spike for more than a half-million Ohioans, U.S. Sen. Jon [Husted’s proposal] consists mostly of raising costs or cutting benefits for low and middle-income consumers whose pay and insurance plans aren’t as good as his own.
    • With the country mired in an affordability crisis, large majorities of Americans want to see the subsidies extended.
    • Husted has been highly critical of the ACA subsidies, which are credited with helping to bring down the rate of uninsured Americans to an all-time low. He voted repeatedly against extending them.
    • In his Nov. 20 floor speech, Husted called them, “Another $350 billion on the national credit card for a program that we know is dysfunctional.”
    • Husted’s office didn’t respond last week when asked why he was against extending that program as is, while he was OK with voting last summer for President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 
    • To do so, [Husted] proposed a “fraud, freeze and fix approach.” Most pertinent to Ohioans who get their insurance on the ACA exchanges is the “freeze” portion of the formula.
    • The freeze would fall on people using the exchanges. They would either see their costs go up with health-sector inflation, or some would be locked out of the program.
    • If the ACA subsidies are allowed to expire, marketplace recipients will lose those savings. That would create large numbers of uninsured people who would still get sick, but couldn’t pay for their care — a matter Husted didn’t discuss.
    • Freezing the amount spent on the program would require some mix of reducing eligibility and increasing participants’ costs.

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  • ICYMI: Ohio Patients, Health Care Providers Sound the Alarm on Jon Husted’s Health Care Crisis

    Warren, Ohio — With open enrollment now underway, health care premiums are skyrocketing for an estimated 583,000 Ohioans as the ACA tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year.

    Last week, Ohio patients and health care providers sounded the alarm in Warren on Jon Husted’s health care crisis. Husted has already voted eight times against lowering health care costs and continues to attack the ACA tax credits that Ohioans rely on, claiming they are “not the way to go about it.”

    See for yourself:

    WFMJ: Ohioans Call Out Jon Husted For His Health Care Crisis

    • Lindsay McCoy: With the Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire, and open enrollment now underway, Ohioans could see their premiums double this year. 
    • Lindsay McCoy: The group blames Senator Husted saying he refused to act, saying that he used the Affordable Care Act as a political talking point but offers no alternatives to people in need of the subsidy. 
    • Janeen Shakelford, Warren resident: “You are supposed to be for the people, you are on the HELP Committee in the Senate, and you are not helping us. You’re making it harder for us and more difficult to live the American dream […].”
    • Lindsay McCoy: The group also calls out the U.S. Senator for voting against lowering health care premiums eight times.

    WKBN: Local group gathers in Warren to push for ACA tax credit extension

    • Outside the now-closed Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull, a group of people held signs that said “Lower our Healthcare Costs” and “Save Our Healthcare.” 
    • They’re voicing their concerns about the impending expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. It would mean a price hike for many people who rely on the marketplace for coverage.
    • “I started off with around a $200 bill. My tax credits, if they are removed, have increased my cost to over $935 per month, which is $300 more than my mortgage,” said Janeen Shackleford, who relies on ACA for coverage.
    • Dr. Alexis Smith said when people lose insurance, preventable conditions go untreated.
    • “Emergency rooms become the primary source of care, families delay seeing a doctor until problems are more advanced and more expensive to manage,” she said. “Jon Husted and the Republicans need to extend the subsidies that keep Ohioans insured, healthy and financially stable.”

    WFMJ: Patients, providers claim U.S. Senator failed to protect healthcare costs

    • Some patients and health care providers met in Warren on Friday to share their thoughts on what they are calling a “health care crisis”, one they say United States Senator Jon Husted, who represents Ohio, has contributed to.
    • With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025, and with enrollment now open, some Ohio residents could be seeing their health care premiums double.
    • The group present at the conference argued that Senator Husted refused to act to protect health care, specifically citing the ACA, claiming that Husted voted against lowering healthcare premiums eight times.
    • “Think about the people we know. The single parent here in Warren working two jobs, the small business owner in Salem trying to keep the doors open, the contractor in Youngstown whose employer does not offer coverage. These are the people who stand to lose the most from subsidy cuts,” said Dr. Smith.

    The Vindicator: Valley residents protest Husted over Obamacare tax credits

    • Local residents, organized by a left-leaning organization, spoke against U.S. Sen. Jon Husted for not extending the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits that expire at the end of the month.
    • Janeen Shackelford of Youngstown said the credits “have been a lifeline for me. They allowed me to become a real estate agent knowing I could afford coverage on the marketplace. Now, because of Jon Husted’s votes, my premiums are tripling next year and I won’t be able to afford my health insurance.”
    • Shackelford was among about a dozen people Friday outside the closed Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull in Warren to speak against the Republican senator regarding the expiring ACA tax credits.
    • Mike Phifer of Warren said Friday that Husted’s position means “my premiums, and thousands of others, are going up next year. It’s just one more thing getting more expensive thanks to Sen. Husted.”

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  • NEW: Jon Husted Doesn’t Think There Is an Affordability Crisis in Ohio

    Columbus, Ohio — Today, Jon Husted claimed that the affordability crisis only exists in “blue states” and not in Ohio — ignoring the harsh reality for Ohioans that are paying more thanks to Husted’s affordability crisis.

    Husted’s reckless tariffs are driving up prices across the board, while his votes on health care are sending premiums soaring for more than half a million Ohioans. As energy and grocery bills rise, Husted refuses to acknowledge the crisis he helped create.

    WATCH: 

    Transcript: 

    Jon Husted: Remember, the affordability crisis is the worst in blue states, in blue cities and in Republican states, you know, we’ve done things like in Ohio, we embraced fracking and oil extraction and lowering energy costs. 

    Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement: 

    “Jon Husted may not think there is an affordability crisis, but Ohio families living with higher grocery bills, higher health care premiums, and higher energy bills would beg to differ. Husted can pretend that this crisis doesn’t exist, but Ohioans are paying the price for his votes every day.” 

    Read more about Jon Husted’s Affordability Crisis: 

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  • ICYMI: Ramaswamy Slammed for “Embarrassing” Policy So Bad His Supporters Searched for “Nonsensical Explanations” 

    Columbus, Ohio- In case you missed it, the Ironton Tribune editorial board slammed Vivek Ramaswamy’s botched education policy rollout where he revealed a policy so bad his own supporters thought it was AI. Even Republicans know Ramaswamy has the wrong idea for Ohio.

    See for yourself: 

    • Last week, the campaign of Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton posted a seven-second clip of her rival, Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to her social media feeds. 
    • The clip featured Ramaswamy making a pitch to do away with summer break for students, making schools go year round and extend the length of the school day in the state.  
    • Setting aside the fact that year-round school has been proven to costs states more, due to increased expenses, such as utilities, wear and tear on buildings, as well as more staffing and administrative costs, looking at schools as a way to provide cheap or “free” babysitters shows Ramaswamy may have his priorities wrong when it comes to educational policy.  […]
    •  So it came as no surprise that the idea was deeply unpopular with many, even in Ramaswamy’s own party.  
    • Conservative commentator Meghan McCain described it “an absolutely insane idea” and said it was “completely removing the importance of family bonding time and anything non-academic related.”  
    • Rather than defend Ramaswamy’s policy idea, some Republicans and conservatives instead tried a different approach – concocting an elaborate, ludicrous conspiracy theory to try to clear away Ramaswamy’s ill-received idea.  
    • And Ramaswamy’s campaign eventually admitted, to the Columbus Dispatch, that the video, which they had deleted, was, in fact, a legitimate recording of their candidate.
    • Ramaswamy’s campaign owes Ohioans a better explanation here. Simply erasing the video, after their allies tried to claim it was fake, and hoping the matter vanishes down the memory hole is not sufficient.  
    • This entire display has been pure amateur hour – whether it is the nonsensical claims of fringe media figures Ramaswamy allies with or the campaign’s garbled explanation of the video and lack of clarification of his position, whatever that may be.  

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    The post ICYMI: Ramaswamy Slammed for “Embarrassing” Policy So Bad His Supporters Searched for “Nonsensical Explanations”  appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

  • ICYMI: Ohioans Struggle With Higher Costs Under Jon Husted

    Columbus, Ohio — Whether it’s groceries, food, or health care, Ohioans are paying more thanks to Jon Husted’s affordability crisis. 

    Husted’s reckless tariffs are driving up prices across the board, and his votes on health care are sending premiums soaring. Instead of fighting to lower costs, Husted has doubled down, saying that critics “are wrong” about the tariffs, they “haven’t affected the economy negatively,” and “the policies are working.”

    See For Yourself:

    Kent Stater: Tariffs hit local businesses in Northeast Ohio

    • Local manufacturers and business owners are feeling the trickle-down impact on many key products they import. 
    • “It’s a lot of extra things now that I have to do to make up for not being able to get the other things,” local artist and dice maker, Faith Burns, said.
    • “The lack of stability this year, the chaos at the federal government level, has made it tough for companies to know where they’re going next, what income they’re going to have,” John Kelly, the director of business development at the Tuscarawas County Economic Development Corporation, said.
    • At a local Kent coffee shop, sourcing coffee beans is driving up their costs, meaning they are passing a 5% fee on bags of coffee onto their customers. 

    Axios: Tariffs are shaking up Ohio manufacturing

    • Driving the news: One-third of Ohio manufacturers say tariffs have already affected their sales, according to the report.
    • By the numbers: Two in five surveyed say rising raw material costs are hindering growth.
    • Cases of “significant” cost pressure jumped from 7.7% in 2023 to 10.9% in 2025.
    • 30% say political uncertainty is slowing growth, the highest level since tracking began in 2018.

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  • NEW REPORTING: Health Care Costs Soar Thanks to Jon Husted’s Health Care Crisis

    “For one Ohio woman, monthly premiums have skyrocketed to $1,700 a month”

    Columbus, Ohio — New reporting shows how devastating Jon Husted’s health care crisis has become for Ohio families. More than half a million Ohioans are bracing for massive premium hikes, with one woman’s bill increasing to $1,700 a month.

    Despite this, Husted voted eight times against lowering health care costs and continues to attack the ACA tax credits that Ohioans rely on, claiming they are “not the way to go about it.”

    Read more about Jon Husted’s health care crisis:

    Scripps News: How eliminating government subsidies could impact those who rely on the Affordable Care Act

    • We first heard from Griffith about a month ago, when she thought her ACA premiums would go from $240/month to $1,200/month. However, after looking into it further, she said it’s closer to $1,700/month.
    • “Health care should never be a political issue,” said Griffith. “It should be affordable. People in this country need health care. If you don’t have it, you go bankrupt.”
    • Griffith said she retired a bit early to take care of her mom. She said that if the proposed ACA government subsidies are cut, they’ll have to find the money somewhere else.
    • “We’ll have to go into savings. We’ll have to look at retirement accounts,” said Griffith.
    • For Griffith, she said the lower-cost ACA plan has been a lifeline for her and so many others that Congress has to figure out soon.

    WHIO: Millions of Ohioans worried about possible increase in ACA subsidies

    • About 24 million Americans get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. As reported on News Center 7 Daybreak, over 90 percent currently receive some tax credit, which helps keep those premiums down. They are scheduled to expire at the end of the year.
    • For Joe Stamps, owner of Stamps of Approval Hair Studio, that means a premium of around $500 a month.
    • Emma Wager is a senior analyst for the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Her group estimates that the average person who buys insurance through the ACA market will see their premiums more than double in the New Year.
    • A 60-year-old couple will see their plan skyrocket by over 250 percent or around $1,500 per month for the plan, according to KFF.
    • Stamps is one of 4 million people that KFF estimates will go without full insurance if the tax credits expire.
    • “That’s just really one day at a time, trusting God to take care of me, because the system does not seem to work for you, but they will use you to make money from you,” he said. “So, it’s just one of those things.”

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  • ICYMI: Vivek Ramaswamy Slammed for “Insane,” Video “So Dumb, his Fans Think it’s AI”

    Mediaite: ‘ENOUGH’: Meghan McCain Outraged at Vivek Ramaswamy’s Deleted Plan for Year-Round School

    “Republican commentator Meghan McCain branded Vivek Ramaswamy’s (R) plan to keep kids in school year-round as “absolutely insane.””

    “McCain then eviscerated the idea.

    “This is an absolutely insane idea – completely removing the importance of family bonding time and anything non academic related.”

    The New Republic: Dem Shares Vivek Ramaswamy Video So Dumb, His Fans Think It’s AI

    “MAGA Republicans accused a Democrat running against Vivek Ramawamy for Ohio governor of posting an AI-generated video of the DOGE czar-for-a-day pitching a truly terrible policy idea. Too bad for them, because the video was actually real.”

    “That proposal was so blatantly bad that Republicans immediately started to accuse Acton of sharing a fake video. Far-right commentator Tim Pool claimed on his show Tuesday that the video Acton shared was AI and that the audio had been “replaced.””

    “It turns out, the only one manipulating the video was Ramaswamy. The full video was originally posted to Ramaswamy’s social media accounts before being removed. Another version of the video was later reposted without the Republican’s plan to extend school hours, according to The Columbus Dispatch.”

    Huffington Post: Vivek Ramaswamy Pitches Idea So Extreme Supporters Think His Opponent Made AI Video

    “Conservatives had an extreme reaction to a video posted by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday ― with many convinced it must be AI.”

    “Even worse for Ramaswamy: One of the ideas proposed in the clip was apparently so extreme that people inclined to support his candidacy were convinced the video was a smear made by his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton.”

    “Ramaswamy tried to counter the controversy by posting another video in which he accused Democrats like Acton of “distorting my position” on education, but didn’t mention the year-round proposal from the earlier video.”

    “This isn’t the first time Ramaswamy’s views about the American education system have come back to bite him….Last December, he was heavily criticized after declaring that “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long,” and that a “culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.”

    The Daily Beast: MAGA Insists Real Vivek Ramaswamy Policy Proposal Is AI

    “MAGA has tried to excuse a real clip of Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy proposing “year-round” school as AI.”

    “The video was posted on Monday afternoon and was up for several hours before it was deleted and replaced with a version that removed Ramaswamy’s year-round school proposal. He did, however, leave the original up on his Threads account. It is unclear why Ramaswamy deleted the proposal from his other platforms.”

    Yahoo: Fact Check: Gubernatorial Opponent Amy Acton Did NOT Spread A Fake Video Of Vivek Ramaswamy Advocating Year-Round School — He Did Say It

    “Did Ohio Democrat Amy Acton spread a fake video of Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy advocating year-round school, as social media posts claim? No, that’s not true:”

    The Center Square: Ramaswamy edits video initially proposing year-round school

    “Ohio Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is quickly backing away from an idea to send children to school year-round and extend the school day.”

    “Republicans initially claimed that Acton’s camp created the video using deepfake AI, but the campaign confirmed to the Columbus Dispatch that the video was real.”

    “The video did not include any discussion of increased taxpayer costs for year-round schools or an extended school day.”

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