2024 Candidate Questionnaire – Phil Heimlich

Candidate Questionnaire – Phil Heimlich

United States House of Representatives – 2nd District

Biography:

I am a former assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor, Republican Cincinnati City Councilman and Hamilton County Commissioner. Since President Trump’s election in 2016, I have written numerous columns in USA Today and other newspapers, and appeared on CNN, warning of the dangers of Trumpism.

What are your three most important policy priorities? What do you hope will be the impact of implementing these policies?

1) Protecting Our Democracy:  implementing this will ensure that no person will attempt to overthrow a valid election as President Trump and his allies attempted to do after the 2020 election; 2) Paying Down the National Debt: this will protect our country from suffering massive inflation in the future and no longer leave us at the mercy of countries like China that hold our bonds; 3) Respecting the Law: As a former prosecutor I recognize that no one is above the law – that applies to the protesters who rioted after the George Floyd protests and the thugs who invaded the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

If elected, what will be your approach to engage with constituents and businesses to gather input on legislative/policy decisions?

During this campaign I have met with leaders throughout the 2nd District to learn about the challenges their region is facing. I will continue to do this as your congressman.

In your opinion, what are the two most important challenges facing our county and how do you propose to address them?  

1) Providing the funds for infrastructure for broadband and gas lines to bring in natural gas; 2) Regulating the influx of drug rehabilitation facilities in the district – these rehab facilities are setting up shop without being subject to any qualifications or regulations – they are bringing in addicts from outside this region, as opposed to addressing the needs of our own residents – Portsmouth has adopted strict regulations for the these rehab places – we should duplicate those regulations in every county.

How do you plan to address regulatory challenges that local businesses face? Are there specific regulations or policies you would advocate in order to streamline business operations?

As your congressman, it will be my highest priority to cut red tape and reduce regulations that our local businesses operate under.

How do you plan to address infrastructure needs in our region, such as transportation, broadband, and utilities, to support business growth?

Congress designated close to $800 million for infrastructure for high speed internet in Ohio, but that money is held up by red tape in Washington. I’ll do everything in my power to get these funds to those areas of the 2nd District that are without broadband.

What strategies do you propose to enhance workforce development and address any skills gaps in our community?

I will work with local business leaders in the district to get federal funding for the programs that these leaders believe will bring jobs and job training to their communities.

What measures do you propose to attract new businesses and encourage entrepreneurship locally?

Businesses will only be attracted to our region if every community has broadband and natural gas. I will work to ensure that the infrastructure for these needs is in place.

As a member of an elected body, how would you work with your colleagues to build relationships and build consensus for your ideas?Those in the Democratic Party may be my opponents, but they are not my enemies. Ronald Reagan demonstrated that you can only get things done by working across the aisle. As a member of Cincinnati City Council I was only one of three Republicans on a nine-member council, but I passed a teen curfew, increased the number of police and enacted strict curbs on strip clubs and porn shops, by working with both Democrats and  Republicans.