Portman Receives Ohio State Honorary Doctorate

“Sen. Rob Portman has paid forward through long public service, both in Congress and as U.S. trade representative and director of the Office of Management and Budget,” University President Kristina M. Johnson said at commencement.

“Sen. Portman is the embodiment of the university’s land grant mission,” said Glenn College Dean Trevor Brown. “As one of the most bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate, he has worked tirelessly to pass legislation that benefits Ohio and the nation.”

Portman co-founded the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking, and legislation he authored to combat human trafficking has been signed into law to protect children and bring criminals to justice. Portman also has been a leader in the fight to protect Lake Erie and has passed legislation to help keep drinking water clean. For more than two decades, he has been active in the fight against drug abuse. He started an anti-drug coalition in his hometown of Cincinnati and has passed laws to address the heroin epidemic and help those struggling with addiction to get their lives back on track.

Prior to his service in the Senate, he served Ohio and the nation as the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, a U.S. trade representative and a member of the House of Representatives representing Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District.

He has announced he will not seek re-election to a third term in office.