Political briefs – July 22

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BROWN, PORTMAN INTRODUCE BILL TO BOOST NASA GLENN AND SUNPOWER IN ATHENS – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced a bill to boost NASA’s efforts to explore mankind’s farthest horizons while supporting jobs and economic development in Ohio. NASA Glenn in Cleveland and Sunpower Inc. in Athens lead NASA’s efforts to research and develop an advanced radioisotope power system that will more efficiently support spacecraft in the harsh environments of deep space where solar power is not available. The technology, called Advanced Stirling Conversion (ASC), is expected to be four times more efficient than the power systems currently deployed in deep space and is critical in a time of limited resources.

“Sunpower in Athens and NASA Glenn in Cleveland are at the forefront of developing the technology that will allow America to achieve deep space exploration,” said Brown. “Their innovation and contribution to NASA and our country deserves our support. This bill will lay the groundwork for continued investment in the advanced technologies that will lead to deep space exploration.”

“As NASA continues toward deep space exploration, the United States has opened an exciting new chapter that will take mankind deeper into space,” Portman said. “Now, more than ever, we should support the Ohio workers who are on the cutting edge of the innovation that will enable our astronauts and space vehicles to more fully explore these new horizons.”

BROWN APPLAUDS NEW CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR SERVICEMEMBERS AND MILITARY FAMILIES – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) praised new rules that would better protect servicemembers from high-cost loans and close loopholes in an existing law that predatory lenders have long exploited.

“For too long, payday lenders and shadowy financial operators in Ohio have dodged consumer protections, including safeguards for servicemembers and their families,” said Brown, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. “These critical new protections will crack down on predatory and deceptive lending practices that target military families with outrageous interest rates and often trap them in a lifetime of debt.”

After a push from Brown and others, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) proposed a rule last September to strengthen its implementation of the Military Lending Act (MLA) to close loopholes that allowed lenders to charge excessive fees and take advantage of military families.

BROWN HELPS SECURE COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF TAX CREDITS TO INVEST IN SCHOOLS, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES – With the Senate Finance Committee’s passage today of a package to extend expired tax incentives, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown successfully advocated for several Ohio priorities including tax credits to invest in schools, research and development, and low-income communities.

“Tax credits have the ability to lift Americans out of poverty, help rebuild our schools, and invest in our communities,” said Brown. “It’s promising that the Finance Committee moved today to extended and expand these important priorities for our state. If enacted these tax credits will give companies the opportunity to fund research, give families access to affordable housing, and build up our schools and communities.”

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