Throughout his career, U.S. Senator George Voinovich has strived to make government "work harder and smarter and do more with less." These words provide good insight into the man who helped turn Cleveland around after it became the first major city to declare bankruptcy since the Depression, and who led the transformation of Ohio state government into a model of efficiency and effectiveness while controlling state spending and improving the quality of services. He builds on this legacy now as Ohio’s U.S. Senator by listening to the people of the state he loves, and working to affect the change they need to make Ohio and our nation a better, stronger place.
Senator Voinovich always refers to his wife of 41 years, Janet, as his first great love and the state of Ohio as his second. He was born and raised in Cleveland and still lives in the same house where he and Janet raised their children. While his schedule requires him to be in Washington when Congress is in session, his roots remain grounded in Ohio and he takes every opportunity to return to the state and meet with the people he serves.
Senator Voinovich is known far and wide for his dedication to fiscal discipline and his efforts to protect taxpayers’ hard-earned money. He continues to take to the Senate floor to remind his colleagues of the consequences of spending beyond Congress’ means and pushes for initiatives that would return fiscal discipline to the Senate.
For his dedication to fiscal responsibility, the National Taxpayers’ Union gave Senator Voinovich an "A" and ranked him third in the U.S. Senate in 2001 for his strong support of responsible tax and spending policies. The Concord Coalition ranked the senator in 2001 on the top of their list for his fiscally-responsible votes in the 106th Congress. He also has been awarded the prestigious "Golden Bulldog Award" by the Watchdogs of the Treasury, supporting "realistic federal spending and controlling runaway debt."
Senator Voinovich is married to Janet, his wife of 41 years. Together, they have three children, George, Betsy and Peter, and six grandchildren.
