Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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Last week, the U.S. Senate passed my resolution protecting truckers and consumers. The legislation would overturn a Biden administration rule that makes emissions standards stricter for heavy-duty vehicles like trucks. This aggressive rule, released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would force truckers to purchase new, expensive equipment to abide by a radical climate agenda - which would burden our economy as a whole. The EPA's own economic analysis found that the emissions...
Last weekend, the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that entered our airspace. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is constantly looking for opportunities to spy on our nation's military facilities, steal intellectual property, and threaten the United States' position as the leader of the free world. The CCP cannot be trusted, and it's critical that we present a united front against any attempt to chip away at our national security. That's why my colleagues and I are...
Recently, I traveled around our state and visited with many Nebraskans. As always, it is great to meet people where they are and to talk about what matters most to them. Communication with your elected representatives is the bedrock of our republic. I am proud to host these discussions and other in-person sit-downs in communities across Nebraska, which help to make sure that constituents can communicate with me directly in the places they live and work. We kicked things off with a roundtable...
Nebraskans are hard-working, resilient, and innovative. One of the many reasons I love traveling the state is that I get to see that spirit on full display in communities across Nebraska. Just this past week, I had the opportunity to visit with many entrepreneurial Nebraskans and see how their efforts are creating exciting new economic opportunities. In North Platte, for example, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Sustainable Beef – a new project to create a regional processing plant o...
Nebraskans are hard-working, resilient, and innovative. One of the many reasons I love traveling the state is that I get to see that spirit on full display in communities across Nebraska. Just this past week, I had the opportunity to visit with many entrepreneurial Nebraskans and see how their efforts are creating exciting new economic opportunities. In North Platte, for example, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Sustainable Beef – a new project to create a regional processing plant o...
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I believe it’s critical we ask ourselves the following the questions: Is the United States fully prepared to respond to the changing threat environment of the 21st century? And if we are not, what actions do we need to take? There is no one-size fits all solution, but one immediate action we can take to boost our preparedness is to strengthen U.S. munitions manufacturing. Unfortunately for years, we’ve underinvested in our munitions production....
I often talk about the importance of investing in our core infrastructure. That’s things like our roads, bridges, railways, airports, drinking water systems, and ports. But in today’s digital age, internet connectivity is just as integral to modern life as any other more “traditional” form of physical infrastructure. Many small businesses need reliable access to broadband services to function. Family farmers and ranchers, who are increasingly integrating digital sensors, “smart” devices, and oth...
Every August, I always enjoy travelling the state to visit directly with Nebraskans. Taking a moment to speak with constituents, listen to their concerns, and talk about how we can best serve them is an important part of my job. This year, I had the opportunity to travel through the western portion of our state and visit with folks in ten different communities. We started our travels in Gordon, where I visited the First National Bank of Gordon. The bank, like many other community banks across...
I often say one of Nebraska’s most precious resources is our children. They represent the next generation of great entrepreneurs, family farmers, doctors, police officers – you name it – that make our state the incredible place that it is. For this, they deserve our full support and care. This is especially true for foster kids, who unfortunately face significant hardships. It’s estimated on any given day, there are 3,000 children in foster care in Nebraska alone. In many circumstances, childre...
If you or a loved one has traveled recently, you’ve likely experienced flight delays or cancelations. A combination of factors has disrupted our air travel system. According to the latest federal data, an astounding 88,161 flights were canceled from January to May this year. But it’s not just the inconvenience of cancellations or delays that are concerning. One factor contributing to the travel difficulties is the lack of available pilots, which has forced many airlines to reduce the volume of...
Every fall, spring, and summer, my office provides some outstanding college students with the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C. or at one of our state offices. These internships give students the chance to learn more about public policy, our system of government, and constituent service. This summer, I welcomed four interns to our D.C. team. These college students are all from Nebraska, and over the last 8 weeks they have done important work on behalf of the state. I am always delighted...
There was recently a momentous victory for life when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on June 24, 2022. This marked an amazing day for our nation and a huge victory for the pro-life movement. In a 6-3 ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Court upheld a Mississippi state law that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of gestation except in certain cases. The court also affirmed that there is no constitutional right to abortion. Both c...
Baseball is America’s pastime. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a hot dog in the stands, hearing the sound of a home run, or watching your favorite player beat the tag at home. Every year in June, Nebraskans look forward to the sights, sounds, and thrills of this beloved game when Omaha hosts the College World Series. The inaugural Men’s College World Series took place in 1947 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It wasn’t until 1950 that the tournament took place at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. From 19...
I always enjoy visiting with Nebraskans and seeing the exciting developments happening across our state. As part of a recent state work period, I had the chance to spend the day in Hastings and participate in a series of business tours. In this week’s column, I’d like to tell you a little bit about what I saw that day. My first stop in Hastings was with Small Town Famous, a “modern” general store and screen-printing shop with great staff. Many of their fun products and custom apparel celebra...
Your cell phone number is tied to countless aspects of your daily life. If you are like me, you have had the same number for a decade or more. Your family and friends all know how to reach you at that number. If you change it, you could lose contact with dozens of loved ones and many other people who need to contact you for crucial needs – like your bank, healthcare provider, employer, or your children’s school. Would you panic if you had to change your number all of a sudden? This is a dil...
"Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” These words were spoken by General Douglas MacArthur during a speech he gave to Army Corps Cadets at West Point in 1962. They are inspiring. And they illuminate the dedication and love of c...
May 11 to May 16 was National Police Week. It’s an opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation to the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep our people and communities safe. Nebraskans take police week seriously. From the candlelight “Walk the Beat” vigil in Omaha to National Law Enforcement Day memorial services in Douglas County and Grand Island, we demonstrate that we back the blue. We honor our fallen officers, like Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco and Lincoln Polic...
As Nebraskans know well, we are the beef state. We have every segment of the supply chain from cow-calf producers, to backgrounders, to large and small feed yards and also three of the four big packers in the state. The livestock industry contributes $13.8 billion to Nebraska’s economy annually. It is without a doubt the economic engine of our state. Recently, there was a legislative hearing on my bipartisan bill The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act in the Senate Agriculture C...
As the weather warms up this spring and summer, thousands of Nebraskans are planning to visit our state’s many national treasures and other historic sites. From Homestead National Historic Park in Beatrice to Scotts Bluff National Monument in the Panhandle, Nebraska has so much to offer. One of my favorite places to visit is the Niobrara National Scenic River. I grew up in Lincoln, but after I married my husband, Bruce, we moved to his family ranch in Cherry County. My adopted hometown of V...
For many Nebraskans, Lent means two things: a time for personal reflection, and a time for weekly fish fries. My daughter-in-law comes from a big Catholic family who have called Omaha home for generations. This family grew up by Holy Name Catholic Church, and her mom, aunts, uncle, and cousins once again recently hosted me at Holy Name’s weekly fish fry. The moment I walked in, I was met by the sound of people laughing and talking. The entire church basement was filled with people who were t...
As we mark one month since Putin began his invasion of Ukraine, keeping America safe is our priority. In just one month, Putin has displaced millions of Ukrainians from their homes, killed thousands of innocent people, including at least 120 children, and made troubling statements about Russia’s nuclear weapons. During this moment of uncertainty, President Biden recently submitted his annual budget request to Congress. Unfortunately, he has proposed shortchanging our men and women in uniform f...
On Thursday, February 24, the world awoke to news that Russia had invaded Ukraine. Vladimir Putin launched attacks from land, air, and sea. By the next day, Russian forces had reached the outskirts of the capital city of Kyiv, where fierce fighting and heroic Ukrainian resistance continues against all odds. The scenes coming out of Ukraine are terrifying: newborn babies in need of intensive care moved to makeshift bomb shelters, a Ukrainian kindergarten under attack, and indiscriminate shelling...
In August 2020, our nation marked the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, which gave women the right to vote. This was the final victory in a decades-long struggle by these visionary reformers. The women’s suffrage movement succeeded partly because it appealed to a promise our Founding Fathers made at the birth of our nation, but which remained unfulfilled until the 19th Amendment’s ratification: that all men – and women – are created equal. Today, a different group of...
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, World War II was already raging in Europe. It had begun more than two years earlier, after Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. And just months before Pearl Harbor, Nazi Germany had turned on its former ally, the Soviet Union. We offered the allies aid in response, but we didn’t enter the war. Most Americans simply didn’t want to: In May of 1940, after Hitler invaded France, only seven percent of Americans said we should declare war on Ger...
In September 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, bound for the New World. The ship’s 102 passengers and 30 crew members – an eclectic mix of religious families fleeing persecution and single men seeking to become landowners on a new continent – had one thing in common: They hoped that better lives were waiting for them at the other end of the sea. Only half of the Pilgrims would live to see the spring. Those who did had a lot to be thankful for, so after a successful first harve...
