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Dear Friend,
Last month, I worked diligently to uphold the rights of our farmers, improve the lives of our veterans, and protect the safety of our country.
Please read below to learn more about my legislation and priorities during July.
Nebraska producers work tirelessly to feed and fuel the world. The last thing they need is more government regulations on animal waste emissions.
I recently introduced legislation to stop a burdensome EPA reporting requirement on family farmers and ranchers. Rural America doesn’t need Washington bureaucrats pushing more rules that hurt producers.
I’ll always fight for our agriculture industry — whether by keeping bureaucratic overreach out of our communities or by increasing connectivity for Nebraska farmers and ranchers. Producers throughout the state need more access to reliable broadband for their operations. This connectivity is vital for adopting precision agriculture technology.
To address this problem, I introduced the LAST ACRE Act. This bill would ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the resources and strategy in place to support last acre connectivity. While Congress has recently made critical federal investments to extend broadband networks to households, USDA is in a unique position to help extend these networks across acreage. This will improve wireless and mobile connectivity for producers and provide better internet connections to farm sites.
Police departments nationwide are struggling with a staffing crisis that threatens community safety. That’s why I introduced the Recruit and Retain Act, which will reduce hiring costs and create local career pipelines for law enforcement.
Last month, Recruit and Retain was unanimously passed by my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle. In the weeks ahead, I look forward to getting this legislation passed in the House of Representatives. As your Senator, I will always work to assist law enforcement agencies as they continue their hard work to protect our communities.
I recently went to the Senate floor to call out the President’s misleading statements and emphasize the need for an economy that serves all Nebraskans.
President Biden claimed his poor economic agenda, “Bidenomics,” was working. But hundreds of Nebraskans know that it’s driving up costs for working families and hurting small businesses. It is important that we cut unnecessary government spending that propels inflation and reverse excessive regulations holding our economy back.
As a member of the U.S. Senate, I’ll continue pushing against the President’s poor economic agenda. I’ll never stop showing up for Nebraskans and showing the administration that “Bidenomics” is harming us.
Our country is experiencing a serious mental health crisis — especially in more rural areas where resources can be limited.
To help with this issue, I reintroduced the ATTAIN Mental Health Act, which would create a user-friendly online dashboard to assist applicants in identifying federal grants that support mental health and address substance abuse.
By creating a streamlined online dashboard of federal mental health programs, ATTAIN will make it easier for communities to access critical grants.
Improving Nebraskans’ mental health is always a top priority in the Senate. I’ll continue working on legislation to address this serious topic.
It’s crucial that we push back against China’s growing influence in the entertainment industry. Last month, I secured provisions in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that stand up to China’s propaganda efforts and prohibit the Department of Defense from assisting with entertainment projects that advance CCP interests.
The FY 2024 NDAA supports the men and women serving in our military, and includes policies that will help us to tackle the challenges posed by our adversaries. I am pleased that my provisions to modernize our nuclear triad and expand munitions production were included in this bipartisan bill.
I will continue to work to get the FY 2024 NDAA across the finish line and to the President’s desk in the coming months.
I had a great time visiting the Trails and Rails Museum and seeing its “Voice and Votes” exhibit, which is organized by Humanities Nebraska and focuses on democracy in America.
I was grateful to the 60Plus Association for naming me a 2023 Guardian of Seniors’ Rights. In the Senate, I’ll always stand up for policies that support our nation’s seniors.
Last month, I went live on Your World With Neil Cavuto to discuss artificial intelligence, Ukraine, and domestic munitions production.
Throughout July, we kicked off many of our Wednesday mornings with a Nebraska Breakfast!
I had the opportunity to meet with three teenagers from Omaha and Lincoln who are living with Type 1 Diabetes. I appreciated hearing their stories and talking about ways we can support T1D research and policies that help the diabetic community.
Shoemaker's Travel Centers have been a staple of Lincoln since 1967. Their interesting collection of antiques — from gas pumps, to trucks, to gas station signage and memorabilia — is something to see. I enjoyed stopping by for a visit!
I had the opportunity to sit down with H.E. Ramón Martínez, Panama’s Ambassador to the United States. It was great to speak with him about our bilateral relationship as well as security, migration, and democracy in the Panama region.
I met with members of the Competitive Carriers Association to discuss my bill to finish the removal of high-risk Chinese equipment from our communications infrastructure. We also talked about the importance of connectivity to families and businesses throughout Nebraska.
I enjoyed meeting with the Nebraska Credit Union League to discuss issues facing our state’s financial industries and addressing the economic welfare of consumers.
I met with the President of Palau to discuss the relationship between our two countries. As China continues its aggressive behavior in the region, it’s crucial we maintain our unique security, economic, and political partnership with Palau.
Thanks to groups like the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild, our state has seen incredible growth in its brewing industry. I’m proud to help them and other small businesses through the American Innovation and Jobs Act, which would support investments in business research and development.
I was glad to visit with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture about my work on this year’s Farm Bill. A strong Farm Bill will ensure that our state’s producers can continue to feed and fuel the world.
Future Farmers of America (FFA) is growing the next generation of agricultural leaders in our state. I enjoyed meeting with some of their members last month.
It was great meeting with representatives from VISN19, the branch of the Veterans Integrated Service Network that covers parts of Western Nebraska. I'll always fight to make sure our veterans have timely access to quality care.
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