Weekly Column

We often hear the narrative in the news today that “Washington is broken”. Our American political system that has been praised as the world’s greatest deliberative body is now described with titles like “dysfunction” or “gridlock”, signaling a lack of confidence in our government to improve the lives of Americans in a tangible, meaningful way.

Since then, we gather every year on Memorial Day to set aside our busy routines and come together to pay our respects to fallen soldiers. We celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer by honoring the best of us, those who gave their lives so that we can live ours more fully and freely. We honor our heroes who answered when our country called for their help.

President George Washington and our founders established the framework of a judiciary system that consisted of three courts – district, circuit, and Supreme. They sought to carry out a uniquely American creed to “establish justice,” which was written into the Constitution only a few years earlier. Our founders understood the weight of this responsibility. The judges occupying these seats would be the final arbiters of truth and justice. Judges are the guardians of the law and the protectors of democratic rights in our civil society.

When I was traveling across the state of Nebraska recently, I was reminded of a quote from President Eisenhower. He once said, “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

Last May, Bruce and I had the privilege of hosting Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue at our family ranch in Cherry County. Secretary Perdue joined us and more than 60 of our friends and neighbors for a roundtable discussion. During the meeting, I asked everyone to take out their cell phones and check to see if they had service. Few did. Unfortunately, lack of internet access – on our cell phones, in our homes, and in our communities – is a real problem for rural Americans, because access is a basic necessity for doing business and staying in touch.

Nebraska families bring their children to Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City to enjoy the great outdoors, walk along the hiking trails, and play in the 50-foot-tall treehouses. It’s one of Nebraska’s many treasures – a place to take in the wonders of nature. It’s also a place of history.

Recently, I met with representatives from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). The NDSS is a national organization that offers support to people with Down syndrome, as well as their families and care-providers. This group focuses on the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.

I’m energized and encouraged by my conversations with the people of our state. Nebraskans are engaged and informed about the issues that matter to them. Working together, we have accomplished a lot for our state and its people. But there’s more work to do. I look forward to taking the insight I heard back to Washington where I will continue to be a strong voice for you and achieve positive results for Nebraska.

Every day, criminals target seniors, hoping to scam them out of their savings or Social Security checks. According to the Government Accountability Office, fraudulent schemes cost older Americans an estimated $2.9 billion a year.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world. More than 20 million people in our nation, and around the globe, are subjected to this modern day form of slavery.