By now, COVID-19 is affecting all Nebraskans in one way or another. Many people in our state know someone who has contracted the virus, and many more know someone who lost their job or a small business owner who has had to close down because of this pandemic.

In a recent column, I outlined federal efforts to provide relief for those small businesses and their employees. This week, I would like to discuss other ways I am striving to ease the economic burden that this virus has caused Nebraskans.

Responding to coronavirus requires cooperation at the federal, state, local, and community levels. That’s why I recently joined 14 of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. In the letter, we urged the administration to allow states and localities more flexibility in how they use money allocated to them under the CARES Act’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

The Fund provides each state a minimum of $1.25 billion that state and local governments can use to offset expenses they have incurred while responding to the coronavirus. This assistance is crucial for them to keep operations going, and my colleagues and I want to make sure communities are able to use it where it is needed most. To this end, my office remains in frequent contact with Governor Ricketts’ office and our cities about their needs, and their responses are constantly informing us what to advocate for in the next COVID response bill.

I always tell my colleagues in Washington that Nebraska is the top ethanol producing state west of the Missouri River. Our state is home to 25 ethanol plants that create 1,300 good paying jobs and provide a strong additional market for ag producers. But with people traveling significantly less and the low price of fuel right now, our farmers and ethanol producers are facing difficult times. In response, I joined another group of senators in sending a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, in which we called on USDA to allocate additional funds to the biofuel industry through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The CARES Act provided the CCC with $14 billion for the purpose of stabilizing farm incomes and prices while also ensuring that the country maintains adequate supplies of agricultural commodities. By making biofuels eligible for this funding, we can help mitigate COVID-19’s effects on the industry, and on our state’s economy.

My staff and I are also in communication with local and community officials, families, and business owners about their specific challenges and how the federal government can continue working to provide relief. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you need guidance or assistance. 

Although these are trying times, we are all working together to navigate through this, and there are so many things for which to be grateful. The Department of Defense recently approved Governor Ricketts’ request for additional funding for the Nebraska National Guard, so that they can ramp up their pandemic response in our state. Along with our health care providers and first responders, and those who continue to serve the public in their essential jobs, these Nebraskans are on the front lines battling this virus and putting their own lives at risk to save others.

Let’s continue to pray for one another, help each other, and show compassion to those who are struggling. We will get through this and we will see brighter, better, more prosperous days once again.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.