Dear Friends,

Partisanship in Washington has severely limited our abilities to find solutions to many of our nation’s greatest challenges. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This month yielded several examples of bipartisan success on legislation I’ve championed to update federal regulations and address gaps on local television programming for rural Americans.

I worked with long-time liberal Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, to introduce theEnhance Labeling, Accessing, and Branding of Electronic Licenses (E-Label) Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law in November. This bill would lower costs for producers and consumers of electronic devices by easing certain regulatory requirements on phones, computers and other devices. Instead of requiring costly physical etching, my bill would allow manufacturers to meet the label requirement digitally.

I also championed an effort to address gaps in local television programming for rural Americans. Nearly a third of Nebraska counties aren’t able to access local television and news programming essential to staying informed about events in their local – usually rural – communities. That’s why I introduced the Let Our Communities Access Local TV (LOCAL TV) Act with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), which called for a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) study on how Designated Market Areas (DMAs) affect consumers’ access to local programming. Language inspired by the LOCAL TV Act was included in a broader telecommunications bill, which passed Congress on November 20.

Sending a bill to the president is no small feat; in the past two years, only 185 bills have passed Congress and actually become law. But working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle has proven effective, and it builds the trust necessary for the Senate to tackle our nation’s most pressing issues. 

IN OTHER NEWS

Fighting Regulatory Overreach

This month, I continued to speak out against proposed overreach by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, who are attempting to expand their jurisdiction over water throughout the United States. Their proposal would extend federal water regulations to drainage ditches, farm ponds and even low-lying areas that only hold water after substantial rainfall. This would expose ag producers, municipalities and individual land owners to costly new federal permits and fines. I discussed the implications of this proposal on the program Cattlemen to Cattlemen. Click HERE to watch the clip.

The President’s Immigration Action

For over six years, the president has repeatedly stated that he would not and could not address immigration except through cooperation with Congress. Unfortunately, the president made an about-face with a politically-timed announcement this month. Sweeping executive actions that fail to enact meaningful reforms, such as enhancing border security and implementing a biometric entry/exit system, do little to curb illegal immigration; in fact they encourage it. The president has previously said that such executive action would “be both unwise and unfair,” and “could lead to a surge in more illegal immigration”. I will continue to work with my colleagues to find a responsible response to the president’s brazen unilateral action.

An update on the Keystone XL Pipeline

Earlier this month, the Senate held a vote on legislation that would require the President to take action on the Keystone XL pipeline. This effort was a thinly-veiled political effort to help a democrat incumbent ahead of a runoff election in December. I am disappointed that this bill failed to pass by just one vote, but this debate is not over. I expect the Senate to hold another vote early next year, free from the political sideshow.

Improving Access to Childcare

Earlier this month, I was happy to support a bipartisan bill to provide greater access to childcare for low-income families, which passed the Congress and now awaits the president’s signature. Hardworking mothers and fathers depend on safe, reliable, affordable child care while they work to earn a living. Unfortunately for low-income families, this is not always easy to come by. This bill, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013, reauthorizes existing low-income child care programs through 2020, and improves requirements related to health and safety standards for licensed child care providers.