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Articles written by Pete Ricketts


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  • Doing Right by Our Veterans

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Nov 21, 2024

    President John F. Kennedy once said, "A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers." Each Veterans Day, we take time to honor our brave veterans. These women and men have served our country with courage. They've made great sacrifices to protect our freedoms. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. One way we can support them is by ensuring that they get the benefits they earned. I'm proud of the work my office has do...

  • Let's Get to Work

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Nov 14, 2024

    The 2024 election is over. Americans voted for change. President Donald Trump's re-election, along with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, marks a turning point for our country. The people of the United States have spoken clearly and decisively. We rejected the failed leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Instead, Americans voted for a better economy, a secure border, and American strength projected abroad. It's time to get...

  • Celebrating Nebraska Manufacturing

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Nov 7, 2024

    Manufacturing is critical for Nebraska's economy. It contributes $21.6 billion to our annual gross domestic product. That's a 57% increase from five years ago. Manufacturing is our second-largest economic sector. It's easy to see why. Whether it's the food we eat, the machines we use, or the tools that help farmers and ranchers thrive, manufacturing touches every part of our daily lives. As we end Manufacturing Month, let's celebrate the many successes of this growing industry. Manufacturing is...

  • Elections Have Consequences

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Oct 31, 2024

    In America, elections are about choices. Choices have consequences. A president's policies and priorities shape our economy, our freedoms, and our standing in the world. We saw it in 2016 when voters chose Donald Trump. His policies built a strong economy that included lower taxes and energy independence. He also brought strength and security at home and abroad. We saw the consequences of our elections again in 2020. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have brought stubbornly high costs of living and...

  • Catch and Release

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Oct 24, 2024

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data released in September revealed tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sexual assault and homicide convictions could be loose in the U.S. right now. These violent offenders should have never been allowed entry to our country. They certainly shouldn't still be here roaming free. I'm working with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) on the BE GONE Act to deport individuals with these convictions currently in the country and block those seeking to enter....

  • Don't Destroy the Senate, Kamala Harris

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Oct 17, 2024

    Vice President Kamala Harris has shown us repeatedly that she's willing to abandon her alleged principles to make her radical agenda more appealing to the American people. It's misleading and dishonest. Recently, she shared that the latest principle she's willing to abandon is the U.S. Senate filibuster. By doing so, she would be burning down an American institution to force her radical policies through Congress. It's a slap in the face to tens of millions of common-sense Americans who will...

  • Standing With Israel

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Oct 10, 2024

    This week marks one year since Hamas terrorists unleashed a barbaric, unprovoked attack against Israel. We must not forget the atrocities committed on October 7th, 2023. Hamas terrorists raped women and kidnapped over 200 people. 1,195 innocents were brutally murdered, including 40 American citizens. One year later, nearly 100 hostages have yet to be returned. This includes seven Americans. Some of these hostages have likely already been murdered as well. We must stand with Israel as it confront...

  • Combatting the Chinese Communist Party

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Oct 3, 2024

    The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the greatest foreign threat facing the United States today. They steal our intellectual property. They pursue economic and trade policies that undermine our economy. They repeatedly violate American sovereignty with spy stations, spy balloons, and other forms of espionage. They fuel the fentanyl crisis which continues to kill in Nebraska and across the country. CCP dictator Xi Jinping has said he wants to be the global dominating power by 2049. That means...

  • Biden-Harris Inflation Making Back-to-School Too Expensive

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Aug 29, 2024

    For the past three and a half years, families have struggled under stubbornly high prices. The cause is Washington overspending and delusional regulations. As a result, American families are paying over $13,000 more a year to enjoy the same quality of life they had when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took office. Back-to-school budgets are one of the many ways families are feeling this burden. According to the National Retail Federation, total K-12 back-to-school spending is projected to reach... Full story

  • Getting Our Country Back on Track

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Jul 25, 2024

    Like most Americans, I was horrified by the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. I'm grateful that President Trump survived the attack. Our nation prays for the innocent victims. Corey Comperatore was murdered while using his body to shield his loved ones from gunfire. This shouldn't have been allowed to happen. Political violence is anti-American. An attempted political assassination is an attack against America and our democratic republic. Everyone must condemn...

  • Senate Internship Opportunities for Nebraska's Future Leaders

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Jul 4, 2024

    Last summer, my team and I launched our internship program in Nebraska and Washington. Over the past year, we've welcomed 23 young professionals into our offices. The experience gives future leaders from across our state an opportunity to serve their fellow Nebraskans. They gain valuable professional skills. They also receive hands-on experience working in public policy, communications, and constituent services. I'm grateful to each intern we've had so far for their contributions to our team....

  • Fighting to Protect Women's Sports

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|May 2, 2024

    Title IX was passed by Congress more than 50 years ago to level the playing field for girls and women. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in sports and education programs that receive federal funding. Recently, Joe Biden's Department of Education (DOE) released new Title IX rules that radically rewrite the law. The rewrite threatens the progress and safety of American girls and women in education and athletics. I'm standing with women across Nebraska against these radical new policies. The...

  • Russia is a civilizational adversary

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator Nebraska|Feb 29, 2024

    The poet Robert Frost once said that a liberal is someone too broad-minded to take his own side in a fight. What would he say about those on the right who seem to be confused about the same question? Over the last few days, Donald Trump told a rally about how he'd supposedly warned the leader of a NATO nation that he'd encourage the Russians "to do whatever the hell they want" against countries that weren't spending enough on defense, while the former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson...

  • Supporting Our Seniors

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|Aug 24, 2023

    Our seniors face ever-growing challenges. Rising costs, attacks on their retirement savings, fraud, and identity theft threaten what they spent a lifetime building. Many of the facilities that care for this vulnerable population are struggling to stay afloat due to burdensome regulations and other factors, threatening the availability of care in rural areas across the country. This week, I held an Aging roundtable conversation with Nebraskans in senior care to discuss solutions to many of these... Full story

  • A Next Step for All Americans

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|Jul 27, 2023

    One of the things I am most proud of from my time as Governor was how we improved services. One way we did this was by helping low-income Nebraskans find quality, higher-paying jobs through an innovative program called SNAP Next Step. The program helps families on SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps, with job training, resume writing, and job search coaching to find that better job – that next step toward a better future. We prioritized giving people a hand up, not a handout. The results were i... Full story

  • Farm Families Need College to Stay Affordable

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|Jul 13, 2023

    The deadline for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms for the 2023-2024 academic year recently closed on June 30th. FAFSA is the form students and prospective students fill out to apply for grants, work-study, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education. Before the next FAFSA application cycle opens up on October 1, there is a critical error that Congress must fix to ensure farm families can continue to receive fair consideration of their applications for aid... Full story

  • Our American Flag

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|Jul 6, 2023

    As we gather to celebrate the birth of our great nation on this Fourth of July, it is an opportunity to reflect upon the values and ideals that have made America the greatest country that has ever existed. For centuries, our American flag has inspired and rallied Americans through times of triumph and tragedy. It reminds us of the sacrifices made to secure our freedoms. It represents the ideals upon which our nation was founded – freedom, justice, and equality – and our perpetual quest to for... Full story

  • Fighting for Life

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|Jun 29, 2023

    One year ago this week, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down one of the most important decisions in its history. For years, loud voices on the left have demanded the right to an abortion be absolute, including horrific practices like third-trimester and partial birth abortions. Despite an unprecedented leak and a politically-motivated assassination attempt against a sitting Supreme Court Justice, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, the Court restored the right of the American... Full story

  • Backing The Blue

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|May 25, 2023

    From our southern border to our own backyard, law enforcement are essential to our safety and security. These courageous women and men in blue make the Good Life we enjoy in Nebraska possible. They put their lives on the line to enforce our laws and keep our streets safe. As we celebrate National Police Week, this week, let us recognize the service of those who chose a job that requires the utmost integrity. While other states attempt to defund the police, Nebraskans respect and support the... Full story

  • Navigable Means Navigable

    Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator, Nebraska|Apr 13, 2023

    Last week, I spoke on the Senate floor to fight a blatant power grab by the federal government. The Senate considered a resolution attempting to block the "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule from President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This rule would change the definition of navigable waters to include things like roadside ditches, puddles on construction sites, and farm ponds. Think about that – President Biden's EPA and his Army Corps of Engineers apparently believe t... Full story

  • It's Always the Season to Serve Others in Nebraska

    Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Governor|Dec 29, 2022

    The holiday season is full of examples of Nebraskans taking the time to help one another. Just think of the bells we hear and the red Salvation Army buckets we see at the entrances of the stores where we run our daily errands. The toy drives and free meals offered by organizations like People's City Mission in Lincoln to Nebraskans who've fallen on hard times. Or the clothing donations and the outreach to the lonely and shut-ins that are put on by the diverse communities of faith across our... Full story

  • Together, We've Made Nebraska a Global Brand

    Pete Ricketts|Dec 15, 2022

    In Nebraska, the crops we grow, livestock we raise, goods we manufacture, and innovations we develop make an impact far beyond our borders. Nebraskans have long known that. Increasingly, the world does too. Growing Nebraska's international presence has been a pillar of my administration. Since I took office, we've made trade missions to eleven different countries to forge new partnerships and increase investments in the Good Life. As a result of these missions, our state has become its own... Full story

  • Connecting Nebraska's Waiting Children With Forever Families

    Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Governor|Dec 8, 2022

    The family unit plays a crucial role in shaping a child's life. A loving home is a tremendous blessing –it's easy for many of us to take that for granted. But there are nearly 500 children in Nebraska still waiting on a forever family. At the State, we are working diligently to find every one of these children a safe, loving home. I encourage you to consider what you can do to play a part in changing a child's life through adoption or foster care. Many of us entered the world greeted by the warm... Full story

  • Grateful For the Good Life

    Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Governor|Dec 1, 2022

    As Nebraskans, we're fortunate to live in a state where we enjoy peace, prosperity, and the blessings of liberty. As we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family, there are plenty of reasons to be grateful here in the Good Life. First and foremost, Nebraska is filled with friendly, generous people. Nebraskans are quick to lend a hand-whether that's shoveling the driveway of an elderly neighbor, delivering a home-cooked meal to a family with a newborn, or helping a fellow rancher round up... Full story

  • Nebraska's Fast-Growing Bioscience Industry

    Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Governor|Oct 20, 2022

    In 2024, NASA will send a small surgical robot from Nebraska to the International Space Station. The tiny, two-pound robot will be able to perform surgeries on the space station that would normally require a surgeon’s expertise and much larger equipment. The surgical robot can operate more or less on its own, performing complex procedures at the flip of a switch. The device, developed by Nebraska-based Virtual Incision, is a significant step toward making it possible for surgeons to operate r...

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