TOLEDO, Ohio — The U.S. House's inability to decide on a speaker continues to affect all areas of Congress, such as the Senate.
WTOL 11 asked Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown about his thoughts on the situation when he visited Toledo on Thursday.
Brown's main priority on Thursday was addressing veteran services against toxins, but when asked about the current speaker-less U.S. House, Brown said the members need to stop acting like children.
"We're doing that while they're fighting like children that the Republicans can't elect a speaker of the House," Brown, a Democrat, said. "That's not happened in over 100 years, so they have to grow up and do it right."
Ohio was more successful at deciding its House Speaker on Tuesday, as lawmakers elected Republican Jason Stephens -- a move noted for Stephens' significant support from house democrats -- over the Republican House Caucus' nominee Derek Merrin.
Brown said the U.S. Congress should be paying attention to other issues, like infrastructure, instead of wasting time.
Brown said he talked to President Joe Biden, Sen. Mitch McConnell and former Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, among other officials, about infrastructure in Ohio on Wednesday.
"Starting this new investment and this huge bridge that 3% of GDP crosses every day over the Ohio River. And we're going to do other infrastructure," he said.
If no agreement is made soon, a bipartisan solution may have to be made, allowing that person to be from any political party.
Senator Brown said he has talked to his newly-elected fellow Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance a few times and hopes the two can find a middle ground at the end of the day, like he did with Portman.
"(Portman) was for NAFTA; I was against it. He was for tax cuts for the rich, I believe in middle-class tax cuts. We differ. But when it comes to Ohio-specific things, we find common ground," Brown said. "That's what Rob and I did for his 12 years in the Senate I'm hopeful J.D. Vance sees the world in the same way."
"We're going to disagree on most issues, but I think there are some things we can work together," Vance told WKBN in Youngstown.
Until then, the House will have to continue to vote until they get a majority, which does not need to be from a specific party.