"How Does It Help Ohio?"

Everything Senator Voinovich does has as its goal improving the lives of the people of Ohio. The simple question, "How does it help Ohio?" has always been central to his work. His roots in Ohio are deep and his focus on communities is strong. Senator Voinovich lives in the same Cleveland neighborhood where he grew up and returns to Ohio almost every weekend. His top priority is to meet with Ohioans and learn firsthand their thoughts and needs. Therefore, he keeps a busy schedule criss-crossing Ohio meeting with the people he serves. Senator Voinovich also maintains four Senate offices across the state staffed by representatives, and he maintains a joint casework office with Sen. Mike DeWine to help Ohioans solve problems with federal agencies and programs.

Children and Families

As a long-time and passionate advocate for early childhood education, Senator Voinovich has made improving access to preschool programs like Head Start his top priority. As governor of Ohio, Voinovich made such significant improvements to Head Start that Ohio became the national leader in state support for Head Start, the national leader in the percentage of eligible children served by Head Start, and the first state to provide broad distribution of distance learning training for early childhood educators. In the Senate, Voinovich introduced and the Senate passed, legislation that recruits more Head Start teachers so that the program could be expanded and improved to make sure more disadvantaged children have the opportunity to start school ready to learn.

To help improve the quality of life for America's families and children, Voinovich has encouraged federal agencies to cooperate better in human service efforts, especially early childhood development. Modeled after the successful Families and Children First Initiative he introduced as Ohio's governor, which facilitated inter-agency cooperation to improve family support services, and Voinovich held hearings in his Subcommittee on the Oversight of Government Management to better coordinate efforts between the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education (ED). The hearings initiated a 40-person task force made up of members from HHS and ED to focus on improving collaboration between the two agencies and completed a report to Senator Voinovich's Subcommittee in September 2000 outlining the three areas where HHS and ED have decided to focus their attention in order to increase collaboration.

Freeing Americans From the Debt Burden

Senator Voinovich has quickly become known as the U.S. Senate's leading "debt hawk" thanks to his work to focus attention on the need to pay down our nation's huge $5.6 trillion national debt. Our nation's unprecedented economic growth in recent years has provided a unique opportunity for the federal government to direct enormous resources to debt reduction - if only Congress will demonstrate the will to make it happen. Senator Voinovich continues to push his colleagues and the President to do more to pay down the national debt so that the 14 percent of federal funding that currently goes to debt interest payments can be rerouted to other more important needs like Social Security and Medicare.

Making Government Work Better

Because Ohioans work hard for their money, Senator Voinovich has always lived by the principle that government should work just as hard with the tax dollars Ohioans entrust to their government. Though government management is certainly not an issue that attracts the spotlight of attention, Senator Voinovich believes that the key to keeping government spending down and giving taxpayers the best services for their dollar, is making sure government programs and systems are well managed. In the process, he has earned national recognition as a leader in government management and improving the way government works.

With half of all federal employees eligible for regular or early retirement by 2004, Senator Voinovich has become a leader in the effort to make sure this wave of retirements does not undermine our national security and cripple the federal government's ability to provide basic, needed services like Social Security. Through aggressive oversight and focused legislative changes, Senator Voinovich is working to make sure the federal government has the tools necessary to recruit and retain the skilled employees required to meet our country's changing needs.

Controlling Government's Urge to Spend

In the short time he has been in the Senate, Senator Voinovich's work to control government spending has brought him accolades from some of this nation's most prestigious business and advocacy groups.

The Concord Coalition recognized Senator Voinovich as the Senate's most fiscally responsible Republican, giving him the highest rating in its 2000 review. He also has been awarded the prestigious "Golden Bulldog Award" by the Watchdogs of the Treasury, supporting "realistic federal spending and controlling runaway debt."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded Senator Voinovich its Spirit of Enterprise Award in 1999 for his support of "better jobs, increased productivity, and economic growth which go hand in hand with the success of American business." The National Federation of Independent Business named Senator Voinovich a "Guardian of Small Business" for 1999-2000 and the National Association of Manufacturers presented the Senator its "Award for Manufacturing Excellence" for his support for American business and America's workforce in the 106th Congress.

Defending American Interests at Home and Around the World

Senator Voinovich believes that it is the fundamental responsibility of the federal government to protect its citizens from domestic and international threats. He has been active on many fronts regarding our nation's defense from helicopter safety to helping shape international policies. He understands that maintaining our nation's technological edge is key to protecting our citizens, which is why he continues to support millions of dollars in federal funding for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base so that the important technology and science work conducted at the base can continue.

Voinovich considers one of his most significant accomplishments in the Senate his victory to enact legislation to provide Cold War-era defense workers made sick from exposure to life-threatening materials monetary compensation and lifetime health benefits. He has continued to work with Secretary Chao and the Bush Administration to ensure that these defense workers, wrongfully made ill while helping to keep the United States secure, are properly compensated.

Since his arrival in the Senate, Senator Voinovich has played a leading role in shaping and implementing our nation's policy towards the Balkans. During the conflict, the senator visited the Balkans region with several colleagues in an effort to better understand the political, military and humanitarian issues facing the region. After witnessing firsthand the suffering of the Kosovo refugees, the continued plight of refugees from the Bosnia wars, and the poor state of the economies in the region, Senator Voinovich began to work on humanitarian relief and long-term economic prosperity in the aftermath of the bombing campaign. As a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, or the Helsinki Commission, he remains active in international policies and recently traveled to Lithuania to attend the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to discuss NATO expansion.
Charting a New Course as Governor

In 1990 Ohio was in recession and the state was faced with a looming budget shortfall. Though not an easy way to start a new job as governor, Voinovich was no stranger to governments in crisis. Though facing tough opposition, he curbed state spending and was able to balance the budget. It was the beginning of a wave of reforms of state government he led as governor that saw state spending curbed and budgetary growth held to its lowest rate in 30 years. Voinovich also established a rainy-day fund of almost $1 billion and enacted tax reductions for three straight years including a 10 percent cut in 1998 for a total of $24 billion. He helped end the era of welfare dependence in Ohio by leading the nation in providing job training to welfare recipients. As a result, more than 362,000 were able to move from welfare to work.

Under the Voinovich Administration, Ohio's unemployment rate fell to a 25-year low - with more than 500,000 new jobs created - and Ohio was ranked first in the nation by Site Selection magazine for new and expanded business facilities. Voinovich also transformed Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation from a bloated and expensive program that failed injured workers and hindered new job creation, into a lean well-managed service responsive to injured workers and employers. In so doing, he saved Ohio businesses and local governments more than $4 billion. His service as governor, his dedication to the citizens of Ohio, and his ability to lead people to give their best and their all, earned him Governing magazine's "Public Official of the Year" for 1995.

Architect of the Cleveland Turn-Around

While serving as lieutenant governor in 1979 and well on his way to a career in statewide elected office, George Voinovich was asked by Cleveland's community leaders to come back to his hometown and serve as mayor. Cleveland has just become the first major city since the Depression to declare bankruptcy. He responded to this call for help and quickly put in place a unique system of public-private partnerships drawing upon the best minds in government and industry to rebuild city government and restore the public's pride and confidence in their city. The coalition that Voinovich led brought Cleveland back from the brink and today, thanks to the continued efforts of the city's leaders, Cleveland is a thriving, renewed community and a validation of Voinovich's first motto: "Together we can do it."

His work as mayor earned him wide recognition, from being named one of four distinguished urban mayors in America by the National Urban Coalition, to being called "one of the top three mayors in America" by City and State magazine. Under his leadership, Cleveland was the only city in America to be named an "All-American City" three times in a five-year period.

Senator Voinovich is married to Janet, his wife of 37 years. Together, they have three children, George, Betsy and Peter, two granddaughters and one grandson.