Valley fortunate to have strong representatives on Capitol Hill

When we endorsed a Democrat and two Republicans for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, we were hoping that the bipartisanship the three lawmakers had demonstrated would continue.

Today, in light of the Republican Party’s sweep in Tuesday’s election — it will result in the GOP’s takeover of the Senate and an increase in its majority in the House — it’s imperative that Democrat Tim Ryan and Republicans Bill Johnson and David Joyce strengthen the alliance they have formed in Washington.

Ryan of Howland, D-13th, Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, and Joyce of Russell Township, R-14th, have a political stake in the future of this region. And while they scored easy victories in last week’s general election, the challenges they will face in the next two years in Congress will be enormous.

For Johnson and Joyce, the competition for important committee assignments will get more intense because of the increased number of Republicans.

Johnson, who will be starting his third term in January, currently serves on the energy and commerce committee; Joyce, who has been in the House for one term, is a member of the powerful appropriations committee.

Ryan, completing his sixth, two-year term, also is on the appropriations committee, which has been beneficial to this region.

Indeed, the three members of the House have joined forces in pursuing funding for important initiatives and programs that have had a positive impact on the Valley and Northeast Ohio.

Spending cuts

But next year, with pressure mounting on Congress to cut spending, and with Republican leaders developing a legislative agenda that is focused on smaller government, the competition for federal dollars will be intense.

Indeed, with the strained relations between Republicans on Capitol Hill and Democratic President Barack Obama, the gridlock that has defined Washington for the past several years may well continue.

Should that occur, the Mahoning Valley will need Johnson and Joyce, as part of the majority in Congress, and Ryan, as one of the senior members of the Democratic caucus, to be on the same page when it comes to seeking federal dollars for this region.

As we have noted on numerous occasions in this space, the future of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna Township must be at the top of the priority list.

During our interviews with Ryan, Johnson and Joyce, we were encouraged by the strong commitment from each one not only to fight any attempt to close the air reserve base, but to push for the expansion of the facility.

Many years ago, the late Congressman James A. Traficant Jr. adopted a strategy for the base that continues to pay dividends.

Traficant, a Democrat who forged a close working relationship with Republicans in the House, was able to secure hundreds of millions of dollars for the military installation in Vienna Township. It was his belief that the Defense Department would be hard-pressed to shut it down after all the investment of federal dollars to expand and improve it.

Traficant was right. The Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which at one time housed 14 C-130 aircraft, dodged the military installation closing bullet several times in recent years.

When Ryan took over as the Valley’s congressman, the future of the facility was uncertain at best. The former state legislator borrowed a page from his predecessor’s game book, and has succeeded in bringing millions more to this area.

The base, which is home to the 910th Airlift Wing, and Marine and Navy units, pumps about $100 million into the Valley’s economy.

There’s no denying its importance, which is why business, community and political leaders from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties must work closely with the three congressmen.

Blazing the trail

We would also urge Ryan, Johnson and Joyce to commit to expanding the Valley’s leading role in additive manufacturing. The region is blazing the trail nationally with the establishment of the first national additive manufacturing institute under the auspices of the federal government.

Now named America Makes, the institute that is researching new ways of manufacturing using the 3-D printing process has attracted worldwide attention. The downtown Youngstown facility has become the template for others around the country, but being first demands continued support from Washington.

There are other issues that the three members of Congress should pursue in the next two years, including the fight to end the dumping of foreign-made steel and steel products in the United States.

Ryan and Johnson have been in the forefront of the effort in Congress to persuade the Obama administration to go after countries that are clearly violating international trade agreements.