Health Care 

  • Senator Sherrod Brown has spent his entire career fighting to expand healthcare access to all Americans. He voted for and helped pass the Affordable Care Act and has spent the years since working to protect the legislation that has helped the five million Ohioans with pre-existing conditions who need it. He led efforts to include a public option in the Affordable Care Act and has introduced public option legislation in every Congress since. [1]

    The ACA has proven to be a vital resource in making health care affordable, with 477,000 Ohioans enrolled in ACA marketplace coverage in 2024, setting a new record for the state. [2]

  • Senator Brown worked to address the high cost of insulin in the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022. The IRA also locks in lower monthly premiums — more than three-quarters of uninsured Black Americans had access to a plan with a monthly premium of $50 or less, and about two-thirds could find a plan for a $0-premium plan in 2021. It will also keep free or low-cost health insurance available — over half a million more Black Americans will have health coverage because of the IRA. [3]

    The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which Senator Brown helped write and pass, allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices, potentially leading to up to 55% savings for patients. This means seniors and low-income Americans can now afford the medications they need without breaking the bank. The legislation also caps monthly insulin costs at $35 for Medicare enrollees, providing much-needed relief for those with diabetes, and extends Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for low-income Americans. [4]

  • Brown has long fought for more equitable health systems, calling on the United States to declare racism a public health crisis. He introduced a resolution to “acknowledge that health care disparities have existed in America for more than 400 years, recognize how those disparities are being magnified and exacerbated during the Coronavirus pandemic, and acknowledge systemic barriers that people of color, especially African Americans, continue to face when seeking care, including implicit biases and overall access to the social determinants of health.” In 2020, Brown’s Office hosted the first-ever Black Women’s Health Symposium to address issues impacting Black women’s health outcomes. He said, “The best ideas aren’t going to come out of Washington – they’ll come from Black and brown communities who have been living with these inequities and fighting this fight for generations.”

  • Brown and the Biden administration have taken a significant step towards environmental justice, announcing $1.8 million in Ohio projects to improve air quality. This includes a substantial $500,000 to expand Cleveland’s air monitoring network into historically redlined Cleveland neighborhoods, where adverse health outcomes persist. These grant selections are a clear demonstration of the commitment to the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, ensuring that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments are directed towards overburdened communities. Brown emphasized, “Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether the air they breathe is healthy. Because of the work we did in the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, Ohio communities will be able to better monitor harmful pollutants, and Ohioans will know the air they’re breathing is safe." [5]

  • Brown was instrumental in passing the American Rescue Plan, which changed the course of the pandemic, delivered immediate relief for hard-hit Black families and small businesses, built a bridge toward economic recovery, and reduced poverty in Black communities. While Black Americans are 13% of the U.S. population, they represent nearly 24% of age-adjusted COVID-19 deaths. [6]

  • Bernie Moreno supports dismantling the Affordable Care Act, dismissing it as a Democratic bill that has failed to make health care more affordable. He said, “[The Affordable Care Act] actually made health care much more expensive. So we have to let the markets work,” adding that it “has zero to do with affordability.” [1]

  • Moreno voices opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act. [2]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on health equity for Moreno.  However, he has made critical comments about the Affordable Care Act. 

  • Research could not find a clear stance on healthy air for Moreno.  

  • Research could not find a clear stance on the American Rescue Plan for Moreno.  Moreno backers opposed the American Rescue Plan. [3]

Hard Working Ohioans

  • He has been a strong proponent of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, supporting multiple bills. He introduced the Raise the Wage Act, a key piece of legislation aimed at raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. This bill would benefit nearly 32 million Americans, including roughly a third of all Black workers and a quarter of all Latino workers. Brown also commended a Biden administration rule that raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour for employees on federal contracts. This rule had a significant impact, with 15% of those receiving a wage increase being Black contractors, 25% being Latino, and 54% women, highlighting the role of federal policies in promoting economic equality. [7]

    He also introduced the Restoring Overtime Pay Act, which would increase the number of people who qualify for overtime pay. Although that bill has not passed, the Biden administration issued a new overtime rule implementing many of Brown’s goals, including increasing pay for workers by raising the salary threshold under which workers are guaranteed overtime pay when they work extra hours. Workers making less than $48,000 must be eligible for overtime pay of at least 1.5 times their regular pay if and when they work more than 40 hours per week. Brown said, “We’ve fought for this for years to make hard work pay off for millions of workers. If you put in extra hours you should earn extra pay, period. Raising the threshold will reward work and ensure that millions of workers in Ohio and around the country will finally get the overtime pay they’ve earned.” [8]

  • Brown also supported the American Rescue Plan, which provided billions for public health measures, extended additional unemployment benefits, and made direct payments to individuals. The American Rescue Plan increased SNAP benefits by 15% and funded partnerships with restaurants to feed American families and keep restaurant workers on the job. [9]

  • Moreno believes the minimum wage should not exist, saying, “At the end of the day, the market will flush that out.” Meanwhile, he cheated his own employees out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages. Moreno was forced to settle over a dozen wage theft lawsuits after a jury ordered him to pay over $400,000 to employees for failing to pay overtime wages. He even admitted in a deposition to shredding relevant wage theft case documents despite being required by a judge to preserve those documents. When pressed on the issue, Moreno falsely claimed that a liberal Massachusetts judge overturned federal employment law in the ruling against him. The judge, who was actually appointed by Republicans, overturned no such laws. [4]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on the American Rescue Plan for Moreno.  Moreno backers opposed the American Rescue Plan. [5]

New Jobs for Ohioans

  • Brown’s successful push for the CHIPS and Science Act has paved the way for increased investment in American manufacturing. This Act provides direct funding for the domestic semiconductor industry and stimulates a massive $150 billion in private investment. A key provision of the act—the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program, is designed to ensure the equitable distribution of this funding across the nation. It explicitly targets technology hubs that can bring about positive change for women, Black, Latino, Native American, low-income, and other underrepresented communities, underscoring the act’s potential to uplift these communities. [10]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on the CHIPS and Science Act for Moreno.  

Child Care 

  • Families struggle to find quality, affordable childcare. In response to this, Senator Brown has strongly advocated for reinstating the expanded Child Tax Credit that Republicans allowed to expire. 

  • The expanded Child Tax Credit increased aid per child from $2,000 to $3,000 and provided an additional $600 for children under age 6. These payments cut the child poverty rate by more than 30 percent. They lifted a total of 9.9 million children above or close to the poverty line, including 2.3 million Black children, 4.1 million Latino children, and 441,000 Asian American children. [11]

    Brown’s vote for the American Rescue Plan led to several fundamental changes. The plan increased childcare staffing levels by 7% and raised wages for childcare workers by 10%. It also expanded the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age 6), making 17-year-olds qualifying children for the year. This resulted in a typical family of four with two young children receiving an additional $3,200 in assistance.

  • Brown helped pass and secure critical wins for Ohio in the 2024 bipartisan government funding package. The bill provides $21 billion for childcare and early learning programs, including $8.7 billion for the Childcare and Development Block Grant, an increase of $725 million over fiscal year 2023, and $12.27 billion for Head Start, a $275 million increase over fiscal year 2023. [12]

  • Moreno supports increasing the U.S. birth rate.  When asked if supporting the Child Tax credit, he said he would support it but did not want to create a “Welfare State” and did not give any specifics on what type of policy would look like he would support. [6]  At a public forum, he stated his belief that the federal government should not be involved in ensuring affordable childcare. [7]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on the American Rescue Plan for Moreno.  Moreno backers opposed the American Rescue Plan. [8]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on the funding supporting childcare in the 2024 Bipartisan Government Funding Package for Moreno. 

Social Security | Retirement 

  • Brown supports strengthening and expanding Social Security and opposes any effort to raise the program's retirement age. He said that Social Security and Medicare “are social insurance – investments in the future of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens. Our seniors deserve policies that protect these benefits, not undermine them.” As Republicans have renewed their efforts to demolish these vital programs, Brown introduced a resolution affirming the Senate’s commitment to protect and expand Social Security so that future generations can continue to rely on its bedrock promise. [13]

  • Moreno put out a written statement reiterating his commitment to oppose cuts to Social Security. [9]

Reproductive Health 

  • Brown unequivocally supports abortion rights in America, and he stands on the frontline for women’s reproductive rights in Washington. With the Supreme Court rolling back the fundamental right to abortion access, parts of the country now live under laws of government-mandated pregnancy. Senator Brown believes that women should have the freedom to make their own decisions about when and how to have children – not the government. [14]

    When Ohio voters rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure in 2023, Brown said, “Ohioans rejected special interests and demanded that democracy remain where it belongs – in the hands of voters.” [15]

    Brown has led significant efforts to reduce Black maternal mortality, including introducing a bipartisan bill to create a diverse National Advisory Committee on Reducing Maternal Deaths. He called this policy “essential to addressing our nation’s maternal mortality crisis – one that overwhelmingly impacts Black women.” Brown is also an original co-sponsor of the “MOMNIBUS,” a package of 12 bills that would help reduce Black maternal mortality. [16]

  • Moreno has made a 15-week federal abortion ban part of his campaign platform; he’s called for even further restrictions in the past. In 2021, he tacked to the right of J.D. Vance, calling for a total abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. He said, “My issue with J.D. isn’t that he was 100 percent pro-life. I’m 100 percent pro-life with no exceptions.” The following year, he said in a radio interview that he is “100% pro-life, no exceptions.” Moreno has been clear about supporting a criminal ban on abortion, with no exceptions for rape and incest or the health of the mother. [10]

    Moreno was an outspoken opponent of Ohio's 2023 Issue 1 ballot measure. The referendum to codify abortion rights into the Ohio Constitution passed overwhelmingly last November. Despite this deep support for the measure across the state, Moreno falsely claimed that Issue 1 would allow a rapist to force a woman to have an abortion. He also mischaracterized Issue 1 as being about “on-demand abortion, late-term abortion, and stripping parental rights.” [11]

    Research has shown that an all-out ban on abortion with no exceptions would widen the racial gap in maternal mortality rates. [12]

Affordable Housing

  • In 2024, Brown introduced legislation, Yes In God’s Back Yard Act, to help faith-based organizations and colleges build and preserve affordable housing. He said, “This is a common-sense solution – families need more housing, and churches, synagogues, and other religious organizations want to put their faith into action by developing housing on land they already own. By helping these institutions cut through red tape, we can lower the cost of housing and expand options in Ohio and around the country.” [17]

    In 2023, he introduced a billto restrict tax breaks for big corporate investors who buy homes, often driving up local housing prices and rents. In May 2023, Brown announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded an over $10 million grant to Ohio to create affordable housing. [18]

  • Infrastructure decisions in America have long added to racial inequality, with highway plans displacing people of color from their communities and transportation, housing, and utility structures consistently overlooking communities of color. Brown was instrumental in passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocates $1 billion for infrastructure projects in communities and neighborhoods previously separated by highways, bridges, or other past construction. It also includes $105 billion to sustain, modernize, and expand rail and public transportation to connect people to jobs, grocery stores, and health services. It also invests $42.5 billion in expanding broadband accessibility, equity, and deployment in communities that are currently underserved, where 80% or more members of the community lack broadband access or adequate broadband speed. [19]

  • Brown helped pass the American Rescue Plan, which included billions of dollars in emergency rental assistance and public housing vouchers. [20]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on affordable housing by Moreno. 

  • Moreno opposed the IIJA. [13]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on the American Rescue Plan for Moreno.  Moreno backers opposed the American Rescue Plan. [14]

Helping Consumers 

  • After the House passed the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act, Brown and his colleagues signed a letter urging leadership to deliver gas price relief for Americans. He also expressed strong support for rolling back Trump’s tax cuts for corporations. Brown supports suspending the federal gas tax in our country while holding all of the corporations responsible accountable. This continues to represent a great way to help millions of Americans save at the pump. [21]

  • In 2023, through a bipartisan effort, he introduced legislation to expand the Farm to School Program, aiming to get more fresh, locally grown foods in schools nationwide. Brown said, “Children deserve access to nutritious foods in their schools so they can focus on their studies and grow into healthy adults. The Farm to School program increases the amount of Ohio-grown food in school cafeterias and teaches children how and where our food is grown.” In 2021, Brown worked with the Department of Agriculture to award $600,000 in Farm to School funding to communities across Ohio to increase locally grown produce to schools in food deserts, help connect farms to local communities, enhance agricultural education, and promote better nutrition.

    He has stressed the importance of food security, advocating to make it easier for farmers to supply to local communities. Brown, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for Ohio farmers to sell locally and to update Farm Bill programs. [22]

    Brown led efforts to pass the American Rescue Plan, which increased SNAP benefits by 15% and funded partnerships with restaurants to feed American families and keep restaurant workers on the job. [23]

  • Brown helped write the Inflation Reduction Act, which raised taxes on the wealthy, closed the tax evasion loopholes used by billionaires so that they would finally be forced to pay their fair share, lowered prescription drug costs, reduced energy costs, and protected the Affordable Care Act.

  • Moreno believes that cutting government spending would lower the cost of living. [15]

  • Moreno believes that cutting government spending would lower the cost of living. [16]

  • Moreno voices opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act. [17]

Criminal Justice Reform 

  • In 2020, Brown introduced the Justice in Policing Act, which would ban chokeholds, carotid holds, and no-knock warrants at the federal level and limit the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement. The bill would also end qualified immunity, fight racial profiling, and improve police accountability through a national misconduct registry, dashboard and body camera requirements, better training, and legal reforms. Brown said, “People all around our state and our country are calling for meaningful change in our justice system, and it’s up to us to show them we’re listening, and we’re taking action.” [24]

    Brown has long criticized the harsh sentencing for drug-related crimes, saying in 2016, “We have this whole industrial complex of harsh sentencing, too many nonviolent offenders in prison.” He has also stated, “You don’t arrest your way out of drug problems.” As a condition of supporting the SAFE Act in 2021, which would allow the cannabis industry access to traditional banking, Brown wanted it coupled with sentencing reform for drug offenses. In 2023, Brown cosponsored a sentencing reform bill to reduce drug-related sentencing and ensure only accurate criminal records are shared for employment-related purposes. [25]

    Brown has called for the federal decriminalization of marijuana. And in 2023, he said that he voted “yes” on Issue 2, a successful ballot measure that legalized recreational marijuana use in Ohio. [26]

  • Moreno and his allies are staunchly against any substantial changes to the role of policing in America. He threw his weight behind a Republican “police reform” bill in the U.S. Senate in 2020, a widely criticized measure for its lack of comprehensive solutions. The Republican “JUSTICE Act” primarily focused on increased training, failing to address systemic policing problems such as militarization, use of force, profiling, and qualified immunity. Moreno has been evident in his support for maintaining qualified immunity, arguing that its removal would immediately endanger police officers. He has also alleged that police reform measures are a ploy by the “radical left” to seize control of our justice system. [18]

    He has provided no policy prescriptions for addressing a racist justice system that disproportionately punishes and sentences people of color.

Education 

  • Brown took on Ohio’s private for-profit schools, which took funds away from public schools and fought for charter school accountability. Senator Brown is working to ensure that students from all ages, backgrounds, and communities have access to high-quality education, including through our charter schools, and is working to advance these efforts across programs. [27]

  • Moreno supports school choice policies to combat teachers unions, which he claims “have hijacked the public school system,” and called for more school choice options in his opposition to the teaching of “critical race theory” in “government-run schools.” He is also generally critical of “diversity” programs, saying, “Others may look at you differently because of a quality you can’t change, but that’s their problem, not yours. These ‘diversity’ programs are so hurtful to minority communities; no one should be made to feel like a victim.” [19]

    He also supports disbanding the U.S. Department of Education. [20]

Protecting Democracy 

  • Senator Brown voted for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, demonstrating his commitment to preventing voter disenfranchisement. This act, if passed, would help restore the eroded provisions in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, ensuring that voter ID laws, polling place closures, and voter purges from registration rolls are prevented. It would establish a nationwide system of preclearance preempting policies that would protect voters of color and provide a greater ability to sue for relief, reinforcing the importance of every vote. [28]

    Brown also voted for the For The People Act of 2021, a bill to promote early voting and same-day registration, restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated individuals, and require super PACs to make their donors public. [29]

    In 2023, he introduced legislation to protect election workers and voters from intimidation at the polls. In 2017, Brown co-sponsored the Democracy Restoration Act, a bill that would restore voting rights to millions of felons. And in 2018, Brown co-sponsored the Save Voters Act, a bill that would prevent states from purging voters for failing to vote. [30]

    Brown applauded the Ohio Supreme Court’s 2022 rejection of a Republican gerrymandered redistricting map, calling it an illegal gerrymander and saying it violates the anti-gerrymandering rules approved by voters in 2018. [31]

  • Moreno supports suppressive election practices like voter ID laws, and he backs Republican “election integrity” efforts, referencing election audits following the 2020 election. [21]

Public Safety 

  • In 2023, he spearheaded a collaborative effort that resulted in the securing of a substantial $23 million for local government and community agencies in Ohio. This significant funding will not only empower law enforcement with critical tools and equipment to ensure community safety but also bolster access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals grappling with substance abuse disorders. A notable portion of this funding, $7 million, will be dedicated to treatment and support services through community partnerships across Ohio. This includes a statewide law enforcement initiative that will proactively alert healthcare professionals of the potential for overdoses, a crucial step towards safer and healthier communities. [32]

    Later that year, he helped secure a $16 million investment to hire and retain 129 law enforcement officers to serve 21 communities and law enforcement agencies across Ohio. This included investments in five Ohio communities—including Cincinnati and Cleveland—to support crisis intervention teams, de-escalation training, accreditation efforts, and innovative community policing strategies. He secured over $1 million for the City of Toledo to develop and acquire effective equipment, technologies, and communications systems to respond to and prevent crime. [33]

    In March 2024, Brown secured 14 different projects for Ohio communities, ranging from the construction of new fire stations and other facilities to the procurement of new vehicles and equipment to investment in education and training so that Ohio first responders are best prepared for any situation. This included over 500 Mental Health Critical Incident Training Sessions for over 7,500 Law Enforcement Officers across Ohio. [34]

  • Brown worked with the Department of Health and Human Services to secure $80,000 to support and develop primary care health services at the Talbot House community center in Cincinnati. Brown said, “Community health centers around Hamilton County – like the Talbert House – play a vital role in helping Ohioans obtain access to primary and preventive health care services. These economic development resources help provide affordable and accessible health care to Cincinnati’s children, seniors, parents, and patients who rely on quality care in their local communities.” [35]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on Moreno's support for public safety measures. But he has continued to show his support for qualified immunity for law enforcement. [22]

  • Research could not find a clear stance on Moreno's support for funding for community centers. 

Student Loan Debt 

  • Brown is critical of student loan servicers, calling for reform on student loan debt and its impact on Ohioans’ lives, noting how crippling student debt undermines the dignity of work. He said, “That debt is preventing generations of Americans from pursuing their dreams and seeing their hard work pay off. It holds people back from buying a house, starting a business, getting married, and starting a family. […] But instead of achieving the American Dream, borrowers are trapped in debt and economic instability. The debt trap is even worse for borrowers of color. 90 percent of Black students and 72 percent of Latino students borrow to attend college, in comparison to 66 percent of white students. This isn’t an accident. This cycle of debt is a direct result of bad policies.” [36]

    Brown has called upon President Biden to use executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt for federal borrowers, joining colleagues in saying, “Canceling $50,000 of student debt would give 36 million Americans permanent relief and aid the millions more who will eventually resume payments their best chance at thriving in our recovering economy. In light of high COVID-19 case counts and corresponding economic disruptions, restarting student loan payments without this broad cancellation would be disastrous for millions of borrowers and their families.” [37]

  • No clear stance on student debt relief could be found for Moreno.  

Footnotes