Weekly Column

There’s no place like home. This month, my husband, Bruce, and I have been driving our beautiful state, meeting with Nebraska families, and hearing firsthand their concerns and ideas on how to carry our country forward.

It’s that time of year again. Pencils are sharpened. Backpacks are filled with books. Soon, rows of yellow buses will make the morning rounds. Nebraskans are going back to school.

Creativity can happen anywhere. This is always a key insight for me as I travel Nebraska and hear from families, businesses, and entrepreneurs across our state.

Across our country, heroin and prescription painkiller abuse are ripping families apart. In Nebraska, arrests and overdoses associated with these drugs are on the rise. Far from an occasional headline, this has become a serious problem. According to Nebraska’s Vital Statistics Department, last year, 54 people in our state died from opioid-related overdoses.

Nebraska airports connect our families, businesses, and communities to our country and the world. Year round, in all kinds of weather, these facilities serve the traveling public and advance commerce by moving people, products, and freight into and out of our state safely and reliably.

For Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers, the day usually begins early. Long before others are even awake, they are at work in the fields and pastures.

Most of us don’t think twice about turning the corner of a busy street or standing in a long checkout line at the grocery store. But for veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), everyday events like these can trigger devastating flashbacks. A sudden sound or a noisy crowd can summon a sense of danger and instantly produce a battlefield mentality. Sleepless nights, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts are some of the many challenges facing veterans with PTSD.

Ninety to nothing. It’s a rare moment when the U.S. Senate votes unanimously to approve a judicial nominee. I am proud that it did so for the confirmation of Omaha attorney Bob Rossiter to serve on the federal bench in Nebraska.

Nebraskans travel to Washington for many reasons. Some of them come to see the sights. Some come on business, while others come to advocate for different causes. Emery Rosenboom is one such visitor. I had the pleasure of meeting her and her family at a recent Nebraska Breakfast. Emery is a beautiful little girl who has Down syndrome. She is seven years old and a frequent patient at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha.

In the wake of the tragic terrorist attack in Orlando, Bruce and I join all Nebraskans in offering our deepest condolences to the victims and families. As a mother, my heart breaks for the loved ones of the victims. As an American, I share in a profound sense of sorrow for the loss of innocent life.