Representative Troy Balderson

Starting Strong in 2024

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Serving Ohio’s 12th District is a blessing, and there isn’t a single day that goes by where I take it for granted. Each day, I am thankful for the opportunity to show up and represent the hardworking Ohioans across our District.

The most fundamental part of showing up to serve is, you guessed it, showing up! For both good reasons and bad, not every single Member of Congress is present at each vote. In 2023, the House held a decade-high 719 roll call votes. I know exactly how many there were because I was there for every single one.

As I mentioned, this is a rarity on Capitol Hill. In fact, only 16 out of 435 of us in the House of Representatives had perfect attendance last year. While I am proud of this “achievement,” it’s only one small part of the work I put in day in and day out for my constituents–and I’m happy to share with you what I’ve been up to lately.

Improving Access to Health Care for Ohioans

Time and time again, I hear from people living in rural areas that access to affordable, quality health care is a top concern. For far too long, the best health care could only be found in urban and metropolitan areas around Ohio. Fortunately, incredible advancements in digital health care technology have begun leveling the playing field.

My goal in Washington is to help foster innovation in health care and ensure accessibility and affordability for patients. Thanks to rapid advancements in health care technology, we can achieve all three. Last week, I launched the Congressional Digital Health Caucus with Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-2), which will bring together Members of Congress who are passionate about improving health care outcomes and making health systems more efficient.

I wanted to step up and lead on this issue because I know that digital health care can finally close the urban-rural divide and make quality care available to all, regardless of zip code.

Rep. Balderson announces the creation of the Congressional Digital Health Caucus.

Pushing Back on Biden’s LNG Export Ban

On January 26th, President Biden made the perplexing announcement that he would be halting pending liquified natural gas (LNG) export projects. This decision not only undercuts domestic energy producers, but it also endangers our allies overseas.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the world has turned its attention to the United States’ robust natural gas industry. Nations who relied on Russian energy exports raced to find an alternative. For our allies, American natural gas was the alternative they needed. This makes the Biden Administration’s decision all the more confusing and dangerous.

Analysts across the ideological spectrum denounced the export ban, calling it what it was–election-year posturing to appease climate activists. In response, I joined a group of House lawmakers in sending a letter to the President demanding that he reconsider his shortsighted decision and drop the hostile rhetoric toward American energy.

Last year, I co-sponsored the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act. This bill gives the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sole authority over the approval of permits to export clean American LNG. This bill ensures the Biden Administration’s politicized Department of Energy cannot turn its back on our allies and our domestic energy producers.

Reining in the “COVID” Slush Fund

It’s no secret that the “COVID” Slush Fund has been the riddled with abuse and misuse. President Biden and Congressional Democrats created this $350 billion boondoggle in 2021 under the guise of helping state and local governments whose tax revenue may have declined because of the pandemic.

The problem is most state and local governments never ran into a budget shortfall—revenues have increased by 24 percent and states' rainy day funds have doubled since 2020. Combined with the flood of federal funds, we’ve seen an unprecedented spending spree, contributing to record inflation. As it turns out, many blue states and cities decided to get creative with their windfall and gave an unprecedented cash infusion to illegal immigrants across the country.

According to a newly released report, President Biden helped states divert hundreds of millions of dollars directly to illegal immigrants. More specifically, $340 million of your tax dollars went to a program in Washington State that sent $1,000 checks to illegal immigrants. In Tucson, Arizona, $31,000 was spent on art classes for asylum seekers. And in Illinois, $3.6 million was spent on legal services for asylum seekers and humanitarian parolees, including citizenship application help. To make matters worse, the Treasury Department announced in November that they are hoping to extend this program into 2026, far past its December 31, 2024, deadline.

To stop this taxpayer-funded cash giveaway, I introduced a disapproval resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would block the Treasury’s decision to keep the “COVID” Slush Fund up and running. The longer this disaster of a program is drawn out, the more it incentivizes illegal immigration and worsens the crisis at our southern border.

Around the District

I had the distinct honor to help dedicate the brand-new Gaysport Bridge in Muskingum County in January. This bridge is a prime example of what can be achieved when all levels of government–from local to federal–come together.

When I visited the Gaysport Bridge nearly three years ago, it was evident the bridge needed major repairs. The load-bearing stone piers, for example, were over 100 years old. There was major corrosion, deterioration, and asphalt cracking. After seeing the state of the bridge firsthand, I made clear to Muskingum County Engineer Mark Eicher that I am here to help.

During the Congressional appropriations process, I was able to secure $3 million in funding for this project through a "community project funding" request. These kinds of requests are made by Members of Congress each year to secure federal funds for vital projects in their Districts: such as roadway improvements and water and sewer projects.

Community project funding requests play a crucial role in supporting local infrastructure projects, and they remove some of the burden from local municipalities as they work to improve the well-being of residents, especially for important projects in rural areas that may be otherwise forgotten or ignored.

*Rep. Balderson at the dedication of the Gaysport Bridge.*

I also recently convened a Doctors Advisory Council to discuss health care affordability as well as legislation before Congress aimed at improving access, lowering costs, and strengthening price transparency. Consisting of nearly two-dozen highly-respected physicians from every corner of Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, this advisory council ensures frontline health care providers–not DC bureaucrats–have a seat at the table in helping to shape patient- and doctor-centered health policy.

Among the many topics covered at last week’s meeting were recent advancements in telehealth and remote patient monitoring technology, which have been game-changers for those living in rural communities. Expansion of these capabilities helps to connect patients with their providers by removing barriers like costly long-distance travel, time off work, and long wait times.

Last year, I was proud to reintroduce the Expanding Remote Patient Monitoring Access Act, which would ease restrictions on health care providers and allow more seniors to benefit from remote monitoring services.

Let's Stay Connected

As always, let me know if I can ever be of assistance to you or your loved ones by calling my office at (614) 523-2555 or sending me an email.

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Troy Balderson
Member of Congress

Starting Strong in 2024

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