Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio delivered his maiden speech on the U.S. Senate floor on Tuesday.
Before he was a senator, Husted was previously Ohio's lieutenant governor, an Ohio state representative, Ohio's speaker of the house and Ohio's secretary of state. He was appointed in January by Gov. Mike DeWine to replace now Vice President JD Vance.
Husted used his introductory speech to tell the story of his adoption and childhood growing up near Montpelier, located in Williams County in northwest Ohio. He spoke about the “pattern of sacrifice” that he saw growing up in the Midwest and how it shaped him as a person.
Husted focused his speech on issues surrounding the national debt and how he believes America is in a financial hole.
“The task upon us may seem less heroic right now, but remains both daunting and deeply patriotic. What is that task? To simply stop spending more than we’re willing to pay for today,” he said.
Husted referenced John F. Kennedy in encouraging American citizens to start asking what they can do for others, rather than themselves. He spoke about the importance of patriotism and his belief that Americans have been passing the buck onto the next generation.
He mentioned how the United States is worth fighting for because “we only sacrifice for the things we love.”
Fellow Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno then spoke about meeting Husted and shared messages of support from other Ohio politicians, including DeWine, Republican Party Chair Alex Triantfilou, Speaker of the House Matt Huffman, Senate President Rob McColley, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, and Atty. Gen. Dave Yost.