Weekly Column

More than most Americans, Nebraskans know the worth of water. Water sustains our lives and livelihoods: our families rely on clean water; our ag producers depend on it to raise the crops and livestock that feed a hungry world.

A committee hearing should always be a search for the truth. That is why I never give out text of my questions in advance, though many senators often do. Witnesses at these hearings are experts; I trust them to be prepared, and I want to hear their honest reactions to the questions I ask. From them, I gain the insights I need to make informed decisions.

As a U.S. senator, my job is to work for the people of Nebraska. To do that job well, I need to know your concerns and views. And that means listening. Listening conveys respect. It affirms value. It also directs how I go about meeting the needs of Nebraska families through the important work of constituent service.

It’s a longstanding promise. A few, selfless souls willingly place themselves in harm’s way to protect our families and our homeland. When their service ends, those they protected, in turn, protect and provide for them.

We all know a family afflicted by Alzheimer’s cold embrace. Everyone understands the heartbreak cancer causes. And for the past several years, whether on the nightly news or in our communities, we have seen the horrifying toll of heroin and opioid addiction.

Recently on the Senate floor, I recognized the extraordinary service of Admiral Cecil D. Haney, whose tenure as Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, or STRATCOM, at Offutt Air Force Base has come to a close. With it, Admiral Haney will end his 38-year career as an exemplary officer and outstanding leader in the U.S. Navy.

Every year, when the Thanksgiving table is cleared and the dishes are stacked, Americans head out shopping. It’s a longstanding national tradition: we rise early on Black Friday and take to the mall, outlets, and local stores to hunt down holiday bargains. We write our lists, compare prices, and make our purchases.

It began when a few families made a daring and dangerous voyage across the Atlantic. Braving icy waves in leaky ships, they risked everything for the freedom to follow their beliefs and build a better life. When they landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, they had little food and no shelter. Relying on help from Native American Indians of the Patuxet tribe, these pilgrims endured New England’s bitter winter and gave thanks.

Everyone knows the allure of the open road. In Nebraska, the road can sometimes seem to stretch on forever beneath wide, majestic skies. Nebraskans also know the importance of good roads because we use them every day to do business, run errands, and visit loved ones. Across our vast and beautiful state, we count nearly 97,000 miles of public roads.

Almost one hundred years ago, American soldiers fighting in France, farm boys and car mechanics, turned the tide of World War I. Because of their valor, that terrible war ended at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year. To celebrate, Americans named November 11, 1918, ‘Armistice Day.’