We’re only a month away from one of the most important annual events for our state—the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island. This year, the fair will run from August 27th through September 6th. It’s a great way to celebrate Nebraska agriculture, cap off the summer with family-friendly entertainment, enjoy amazing food, and connect with our rich heritage.
You may have heard that on July 21, the U.S. Senate held a vote to begin debate on a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Pre-COVID, the United States had a robust and booming economy, both in terms of economic growth and in terms of economic opportunity available to Americans in the workforce. This success was directly attributable to two of the biggest accomplishments to come out of the Ways and Means Committee in the past 25 years - welfare reform and comprehensive tax reform.
Nebraska is a renewable fuels powerhouse, leading the country in ethanol-blended fuel. Higher ethanol blends are not just good for our state’s economy – they also benefit the consumer, making fuel cheaper and giving more options at the pump. However, up until 2019, blends with more than 10 percent ethanol, or E10, could not be sold during the summer months because they did not have a Reid Vapor Pressure, also known as RVP, volatility waiver.
As we emerge from the pandemic and the economy begins to rebound, I’m focused on ensuring the industries that provide Nebraska jobs can continue to grow and thrive.
To the Editor of the Gothenburg Times,
Q: Working from home during the pandemic was a revelation for me about what my wife does as a stay-at-home mom caring for two little kids. Now that I’m back at the office, how can I continue to help shoulder the load?
“The naughtiest thing I did when I was a child was pull my sister’s hair with my hands while pushing her shoulders with my feet,” shared my grandmother, Karla Rios, as she sat on her couch eating her dinner. I thought this was so characteristic of the ornery Rios and recalled the time, while playing Pictionary, we threw paper snowballs onto her chandelier to represent lights. She was not very happy, and she made us remove all of them, but it did take her a while to notice what we were doing. I guess the snowball doesn’t fall far from the tree (or the chandelier) in this case.
Over the past several weeks my office continues to receive many contacts expressing dissatisfaction with the proposed Human Growth and Development Standards that were originally drafted by the Nebraska Department of Education. It's encouraging to see so many engage in this process to improve the draft standards that have been proposed. I want to make clear that I oppose the original draft standards and will continue to do so as long as they undermine parental rights and center on explicit and inappropriate subject matter that has no place in our schools.
The pro-life movement has remained steadfast in its efforts to protect the sanctity of life, and as a proud supporter I too remain dedicated to this mission. Throughout my time in Congress, I have continuously championed pro-life legislation to protect the rights of the unborn. I am firm in my commitment to ensuring respect for human life remains a cornerstone of public policy, especially now as the House is preparing to consider appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2022.