Raised in the ideals of his Pennsylvania home and tested on the field of combat defending his nation, Ryan Aument is committed to ensuring a prosperous and economically competitive Commonwealth for all.
A lifelong resident of Lancaster County, Ryan received his bachelor’s degree in Education from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He served as a U.S. Army captain in Operation Iraqi Freedom, briefly commanding an infantry company of 150 soldiers after the company commander was wounded in combat. Throughout his military service, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Army Parachutist Badge.
His father operated a dairy farm for the first decade of Ryan’s life before taking work as a commercial truck driver, while his mother worked at a nearby retirement community.
Like many other returning veterans, Ryan struggled to transition to civilian life.
“I was wondering, ‘what am I going to do now that is as fulfilling as my time in the military?’” he asked. “Why did God spare my life? There were men that I served with who didn’t come home, didn’t have a chance to have a family, a full life.”
Ryan spent three years as a production supervisor at ICI Paints in Reading, while also winning a seat on the Quarryville Borough Council. He later managed the state House campaign of a high school friend, Bryan Cutler. After Cutler won office, he hired Ryan as a key aide.
Ryan then won office as Lancaster County Clerk of Courts and went on to win two terms in the State House and later, two terms in the State Senate, where he served as chair of the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Communications and Technology Committee.
Along with representing the constituents of the 36th State Senatorial District, Ryan also formed and chaired the first ever Nuclear Energy Caucus in a state legislature in the nation and serves as Majority Whip for the Senate Republican Caucus. In that role, his duties include acting as assistant floor leader, working to gain support for legislation, and ensuring that Republican policies and strategies are maintained through the cooperative efforts of the majority caucus.
His mission is to ensure Pennsylvania competes with higher growth states such as Texas, North Carolina, and Florida for jobs and opportunities.
To do that, Pennsylvania needs to boast family-sustaining jobs for residents, and to have family-sustaining jobs, the state must have strong employers. A version of legislation sponsored by Ryan was included in the 2022-23 state budget. It cut the Corporate Net Income Tax rate from 9.99% to 8.99% and created a phased reduction to 4.99% by 2031.
“Lowering our Corporate Net Income Tax will bring more high-quality jobs to our state, raise worker wages, elevate home values, and increase economic opportunity for Pennsylvanians in every class, sector, and corner of the Commonwealth,” he said.
Another one of Ryan’s initiatives also focuses on improving Pennsylvania’s economic competitiveness. His bill, which was signed into law during the 2021-22 legislative session, would establish a commission to redesign the state’s education system to better prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
“My goal is to position Pennsylvania to be economically competitive on a national and even global scale,” he said. “We want to stay ahead of the curve by ensuring that our education system is giving students the proper skills they need to succeed in the fastest growing job sectors in the next 10, 20, and even 30 years. This proposal will attract new industries, create family-sustaining jobs, and ensure that Pennsylvania is a place where our citizens want to live and new residents want to move.”
He also wants to reform how state government conducts its own business.
“I think we have to look differently at how we do budgeting,” said Ryan. He recommends a bi-annual budget with annual appropriations reviews. This would mean the prolonged battles in the Capitol, where state budgets have consistently arrived long after deadline, can be ended, eliminating the sense of uncertainty that frightens off business investment and relocation.
Similarly, he considers state government’s sometimes-sluggish system of granting the permits needed to create new manufacturing jobs as a major obstacle.
“Permit reform is also an important piece of this puzzle,” he says.
During his tenure, Ryan secured his status as a government reformer by helping to establish the Office of State Inspector General, an office tasked with preventing, detecting, and eradicating fraud in Pennsylvania government. Ryan also introduced legislation, signed into law by Gov. Wolf, promoting stronger restrictions and penalties for the misuse of SNAP benefits, protecting dollars meant to feed hungry Pennsylvanians.
Ryan lives in West Hempfield, Lancaster County, with his wife, Kate, a teacher at Mt. Calvary Christian School, and their two children, Jack and June.
He is a member of the Mountville VFW Post 8757, the Lancaster County Career and Technology Foundation, the Lancaster County Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
The Aument family worships at Grace Church at Willow Valley.