WASHINGTON — After 12 years of service, Rob Portman's time representing the state of Ohio in the United States Senate is winding down. The 67-year-old Republican announced last year he would not seek a third term in office, citing a desire to spend more time with his family as well as the ongoing partisan gridlock in Washington.
Earlier this month, Portman gave his farewell speech, reminding his colleagues in the Senate that there "is far more that unites us than divides us."
There are likely few better examples of that statement in the United States Congress than Portman's relationship with fellow Ohio senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown. In an era of hyperpartisanship in Washington, the two men from opposite parties always seemed to be able to come together and enact positive change for all Ohioans.
Brown talked about his bond with Portman during a tribute on the Senate floor last week.
“Our jobs have always been to look for opportunities to do things together. We found dozens of them in our 12 years together and we were able to accomplish a lot of things for our state,” Brown said. “I’ll miss Rob, his leadership, and his reasonableness and I hope we’ll continue to work together for Ohio.”
Among the issues the two found common ground on were infrastructure and the environment. Brown and Portman worked together to include their Build America Buy America Act and Bridge Investment Act in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Brown's office says the law is "creating jobs building and upgrading critical infrastructure like bridges, broadband, waterways, and public transit—all without raising taxes on working families."
The law also included $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up and restore the Great Lakes, including Ohio's Lake Erie. "Lake Erie is 2% of all the water in the Great Lakes, but has 50% of the fish," Brown said. "We know how important Lake Erie is to fishing. We know how important Lake Erie is to our water supply."
Brown said the two co-sponsored approximately 35 pieces of legislation that became law during their time serving together in the U.S. Senate. They were also able to work together to identify and recommend federal district court judges, U.S. Marshals, and U.S. Attorneys to the president.
Portman will be replaced in the Senate by JD Vance, a political newcomer and bestselling author who has closely aligned himself with former President Donald Trump. Brown has hopes that he will be able to have a similar partnership with Vance.
"I look forward to working with Senator (elect) Vance. I hope we can be as cooperative and effective as Rob and I have been on issues that are Ohio-specific," Brown added.
You can watch Sen. Brown's tribute to Sen. Portman in the player above or below