Weekly Column

As a cattle rancher, I understand the negative impact this regulation has on the agriculture community. In the U.S. Senate, I’ve been working to provide Nebraska families with exemptions from this regulatory burden. Last year, I negotiated a bipartisan provision to help our farmers and ranchers, which was signed into law as part of the water infrastructure bill. The language fully exempted animal feed tanks from the SPCC rule. It also provided greater flexibility for producers with on-farm fuel storage.

Memorial Day began following the Civil War. Recognizing President Lincoln’s call to never forget what our brave soldiers did to ensure that our government of the people, by the people, and for the people, would not perish from the Earth, veterans groups from across the United States established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

Ag producers feed the world and their hard work benefits the economy. Right now, foreign sales make up nearly a third of agriculture income in the United States. Strong production agriculture and the revenue generated from the 48,700 farms and ranches in our state helps everyone’s bottom line. For example, food and livestock processing has added nearly 20,000 jobs in metropolitan Omaha alone. These jobs bring a diversity of expertise to Nebraska, from technology and engineering to irrigation and food processing. Finding new trade partners will make the lives of all Nebraskans better.

I would like to use my column this week to address a special group of Nebraskans. Seniors in high schools and colleges across our state are taking the next step in their lives: they are graduating. Each graduate has his or her own story. That is what has made their academic experiences so special. Their classes contain a unique collection of individuals, which has allowed them to learn not only from their teachers, but from their peers, as well. This fusion of backgrounds, cultures, and environments helps to create something common among all of our students: a strength and resiliency

Fifty years ago, America entered a military conflict halfway around the world. When their nation called on them to serve, the people of our state stepped up to the challenge. More than 40,000 Nebraskans served in our armed forces during the Vietnam era, and each of the heroes who deployed to Vietnam deserves recognition and our deep gratitude.

As your U.S. senator, one of my top priorities is fighting burdensome federal regulations that are making life more difficult for you and your family. One of my first initiatives in 2013 was the “Rolling Back Regulations: Nebraskans Speak Out” program. I asked Nebraskans to highlight specific regulations adversely impacting their families, communities, and businesses.

There is nothing like springtime in Nebraska—wonderful people, warm sunshine, and a preview of Huskers football. I recently spent two weeks traveling our beautiful state and meeting with Nebraskans. Our discussions focused on your ideas about how we can solve problems and promote prosperity.

Access to broadband is especially important for Nebraska’s agricultural sector. In our 21st-century world, livestock producers have the ability to monitor their livestock with connected devices, enabling them to maintain a healthy herds. To supply the world with our state’s great agricultural products, all of our ranchers and farmers must have the ability to access the most up-to-date news on weather and commodity markets to make critical decisions such as knowing when to sell crops and when to place them in storage. Additionally, by extending the reach of broadband networks, more of Nebraska’s small businesses will be able to reach

A Supreme Court justice should have a certain judicial temperament. Without question, Judge Gorsuch has the right one. When introducing Judge Gorsuch at his confirmation hearing, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) stated that “[a]s a person and as a lawyer, Judge Gorsuch exemplifies some of the finest qualities of Colorado. A state filled with people who are kind to one another, who by and large do not share the conceit that one party or one ideology is all right and the other is all wrong.”

My working relationship with Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey is one example. Senator Booker and I are different people and we represent different states. He’s a Democrat and a vegan from New Jersey. I’m a Republican and a cattle rancher from Nebraska. When I was a Nebraska state senator, my legislative district was the size of New Jersey.