Wednesday marked one year since I took the Oath of Office to serve as one of Ohio’s U.S. Senators after J.D. Vance left the Senate to become the Vice President of the United States.

As I reflect on that milestone, I write to Ohioans today with one message: Thank you. Ohioans have consistently trusted me to serve and represent them, most recently as Lt. Governor, and it is an honor now to represent you, your family, and our shared Ohio values in Washington.

On Jan. 21, 2025, I arrived without an office, a phone, or even a pencil, but I got right to work with one goal in mind: deliver tangible results for Ohio families.

I have prioritized quality customer service in order to assist Ohioans struggling to navigate federal agencies. In just one year, we have returned more than $4.5 million back to Ohioans through our constituent casework team. I’ve also held more than 400 face-to-face meetings with Ohioans, sent more than 400,000 letters, and hosted 8 telephone town halls with participants from all 88 counties.

With tax season on the horizon, Ohio families will soon see the real-life financial relief from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which I helped pass in July. Between income tax cuts, child tax credits, and the addition of no taxes on tips or overtime, the average Ohio family will have $7,000 more in their pocket as a result of this legislation.

In my first year, three of my bills have been signed into law to make Ohioans’ lives easier and more affordable. These bills seek to lower the cost of prescription medication, protect the Great Lakes, including the important fishing industry on Lake Erie, and repeal burdensome and costly Biden-era regulations that drove up the costs of home appliances.

But one of the primary reasons I accepted the appointment to the U.S. Senate was so I could work to remove barriers that make it harder for Ohioans and Americans to reach their goals and live their own version of the American Dream.

That’s why I introduced my flagship bill, the Upward Mobility Act. Simply put, if you are a low-income single parent raising two children in Ohio, you may receive federal food, housing, and childcare assistance.

If you accept a modest, $1,000 raise, it would slash or eliminate your access to that aid, and your $1,000 raise will become a nearly $3,700 pay cut. That system traps Americans in a never-ending cycle of poverty. The Upward Mobility Act is a significant step to fix that system and deliver real pocketbook relief to the people who need it the most.

So, on behalf of my family, my team, and myself, thank you for the honor of serving you. I am committed to building on these successes in the years to come as I work to take our commonsense, Ohio values to our nation’s capital. Ohio and America are on the rise, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.

(Husted, a Republican, represents Ohio in the United States Senate. This column originally appeared in the Columbus Dispatch and the Cincinnati Enquirer.)