GOP senator takes aim at blue-city mayor for move promoting foreign workers in key industry: ‘Lit on fire’
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno has criticised Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther over a partnership with Ghana to create legal routes for qualified Ghanaian nurses to work in Ohio. Moreno says public money should support training Ohio nurses and argues that recruiting from overseas could put downward pressure on American nurses’ wages.
The agreement was signed in September and aims to strengthen nursing education, develop the workforce and support cooperation between healthcare institutions. The $225,000 cited by Moreno was approved for a 2026 grant to Greater Columbus Sister Cities International, which supports exchanges with Columbus’s sister cities, including Accra. Moreno also claimed the city had spent about $8.3 million on non-citizens and foreign governments since Ginther became mayor.
In short
- Moreno opposes Columbus’s nursing partnership with Ghana.
- The 2026 grant includes $225,000 for the sister-cities organisation.
- The mayor says the agreement supports training and legal recruitment.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Moreno’s case is that public funds should first expand training and job opportunities for Ohio residents, especially when hospitals face staffing needs that could be met by investing in local nurses. Recruiting internationally may also risk weakening nurses’ bargaining power and wages, while public grants should have clear, measurable benefits for local taxpayers.
The case against
Supporters of the partnership can argue that legal recruitment of qualified nurses helps address healthcare staffing shortages and strengthens cooperation between institutions, while the agreement also aims to build nursing education and workforce capacity. International recruitment can complement local training rather than replace it, and a grant supporting sister-city exchanges may serve wider educational and civic aims beyond recruiting workers.
Explained simply
Columbus is the largest city in Ohio, a state in the Midwestern United States. Its mayor, Andrew Ginther, has backed a partnership with Ghana to create legal routes for qualified Ghanaian nurses to work in Ohio. The agreement also covers nursing education, workforce development and cooperation between healthcare institutions.
Bernie Moreno is a Republican senator representing Ohio in the US Senate. He says public money should be used to train nurses in Ohio and argues that recruiting nurses from abroad could put pressure on American nurses’ wages. The funding he cited was approved for a 2026 grant to Greater Columbus Sister Cities International, a group that supports exchanges with Columbus’s partner cities, including Accra, Ghana’s capital.
The debate touches on two challenges for healthcare: finding enough qualified nurses and deciding how best to fund and recruit the workforce. It also raises questions about the role of local partnerships with other countries and how public spending should be used.
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