Happy World Mental Health Day! Engaging our neighbors about their mental health is so important.   And I'm so glad I could join Councilman Houser to speak on how critical it is to check in with one another and know what mental health resources are available in NE Ohio.

I was honored to attend the Bakers' Local 19 Retiree Luncheon this week and speak on the importance of workers' rights, union rights, and protecting the benefits that our seniors have earned.

In NE Ohio, we look out for each other. But Trump’s SNAP cuts are putting a strain on families and local charities. Whip Clark and I met with local leaders at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to talk about rising hunger in NE Ohio and the importance of cancelling Trump’s cuts.

No one should go hungry in Northeast Ohio or anywhere in America. I will continue to fight to cancel Trump’s cuts to SNAP and help local families keep food on the table.

Another ICE shooting, this time in NY, shooting into a car with a child in the vehicle. There must be a full and independent investigation by state and local authorities and ICE must cooperate. Trump’s lawless, reckless ICE isn’t making communities safer.

Grateful to have visited NeoGraf, a world leader in making essential graphite parts, headquartered here in NE Ohio for over 130 years. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the work they do and how we can support US manufacturing.

This is not what an A+ economy looks like.

Happy heavenly birthday to our Rev. Jesse Jackson. 🤎 Rev. Jackson was a tireless champion for justice, equality, and opportunity. His life’s work opened so many doors for so many people, especially Black Americans like me who have been galvanized by his legacy time and time again.

In other words, it’s a failed PR stunt… one that is more than a day late and a dollar short.

None of this adds up. Instead of lowering premiums, restoring affordable coverage, or helping families get back on a plan they can afford, Trump is sending out checks that don’t begin to cover the costs he’s helped create.

Here’s the kicker: while more than 2 million Americans have lost their ACA plans and more than 20 million Americans have been enrolled in ACA plans in the past, Trump is mailing these checks to just a small number of people – less than one million.

But everyone is receiving the same “rebate” amount. How did they pick who got rebates? Well according to Reuters, 71% of these checks are going to just 13 states, and most of them are now states with the most competitive races, including Ohio.

What’s worse? House Democrats forced a vote to extend these credits, which passed, but the President blocked the extension. Now, just weeks before an election, Trump is mailing out $500 checks with a propaganda letter littered with lies. He claims these are rebates from excess fees.

As a result, over 2 million people have lost ACA coverage, unable to afford higher prices. In Ohio, we had the largest coverage drop, by percentage, in the country, with over 100,000 people losing coverage.

First, Trump and his Rubber Stamp Republicans in Washington let ACA tax credits expire last year, driving up health care costs for millions of Americans. Health care premiums jumped by over $700 per year, per person, with families often seeing annual premium increases in the thousands.

Did you hear about how Trump has started mailing out so-called ACA Refund Checks? After driving up health care costs, this is a slap in the face to all of us. And the timing… well the timing speaks for itself. Here’s what you need to know: