Ohio Democratic Party Brings “Democrats Deliver” Tour To Athens As Democrats Fight for Working Families in Rural Ohio
September 10, 2021
Athens, OH — Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters and the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) hosted a press conference at Armory Park in Athens with local leaders, including Athens City Councilmember Sarah Grace and President Ted Linscott of the Southeastern Ohio AFL-CIO. The press event in Athens was the latest stop on ODP’s ‘Democrats Deliver’ tour, which will make stops in rural communities across the state this week to outline the ways Democrats are delivering for working families in every corner of Ohio as Republicans oppose these efforts every step of the way.
“We’re here today to talk about all the success we’ve already seen under Democratic leadership, especially in communities like Athens that have too long been left behind by Columbus and Washington. While Democrats are laser focused on creating opportunities for working families, GOP politicians in Columbus and Washington remain focused only on helping the wealthy and well-connected,” said Chair Walters.
“Thanks to Democratic leadership, we’ve been able to make substantial progress for working families right here in our community, and it’s important for voters to hear about them: from vaccines to the child tax credit to infrastructure investments, Ohio is on the road to recovery,” said Councilmember Grace.
“Earlier this month, the Senate voted to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with the support of President Biden and Senator Sherrod Brown, which included $9.2 billion for roads and $483 million for bridge replacement and repairs. That’s an historic investment in not only Ohio’s roads and bridges, but in good-paying jobs that will help our workers compete with the rest of the world. It’s past time for us to make upgrades to our roads, bridges, and broadband internet and it’s past time for Republicans to stop playing politics with the well-being of working families across our state and support this bill,” said President Linscott.
Thanks to Ohio Democrats, the American Rescue Plan is helping rural Ohio to recover from the pandemic and rebuild their economies. Every Ohio Republican in Congress and running for Senate would have voted against the American Rescue Plan, which included $1,400 checks for most Ohioans, a massive tax credit to help working families raise their children, and funding millions of dollars for rural health centers.
And while Ohio Republicans have been too busy defending their political careers to care about rural Ohio, Democrats have been laser-focused on delivering much-needed infrastructure investments to improve our roads, bridges, water pipes, and high-speed internet.
The infrastructure proposal would create jobs for communities across the state like Fremont and includes critical investments for Ohio, including:
- $9.2 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $483 million for bridge replacement and repairs
- $1.2 billion over five years to improve public transportation options across the state.
- $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, which would improve access to the at least 259,000 Ohioans who currently lack it.
And Ohio Democrats will continue fighting like hell for rural communities, pursuing economic policies that put Ohio workers first, even as Republicans leave them behind.