Opinion

The scenes from Afghanistan over the past week have been harrowing. As the Biden Administration quickly approached their expedited deadline to withdraw the final U.S. troops from the country, Taliban forces took over regional capitals and major cities as regular Afghan soldiers fled their posts or surrendered. On Sunday the Taliban overtook Kabul, the capital, as former President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and handed over power. While this collapse is a disaster, we must remember why the U.S. military was there and understand why the Biden Administration’s withdrawal plan failed so we can better protect Americans and our allies going forward.

Summer’s last hurrah is upon us. Labor Day is September 6. The University of Nebraska Husker football team has started its season, the State Fair ends on Labor Day and public schools are back in session.

Energy reliability and independence are pillars of our country’s national security. A reliable power grid has helped our nation build the world’s largest economy, and our focus on developing domestic sources of energy has made our country’s fleet of automobiles and airplanes less dependent on overseas oil. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report ranked Nebraska #3 nationally for power grid reliability and #8 overall in their energy category which “tracks the reliability of power grids, renewable energy consumption and the price of electricity.”

Each year, the month of August affords me the opportunity to do a critically important part of my job: speaking directly with Nebraskans about the things that matter to them. I was able to do that recently at the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Summit, where I spoke about the bi partisan infrastructure bill the Senate passed earlier in August.

What a difference just one week makes. Last week I wrote about how quickly U.S. Afghanistan policy was collapsing. The Taliban were reported fighting about 10 miles from Kabul when I wrote this update last week. Now they are sitting in the Afghan President’s office. In the photograph is one of the terrorists Mr. Obama let out of prison in Guantanamo in trade for the deserter, Mr. Bergdahl. Tens of thousands of Americans, soldiers and civilians, European and NATO allies, and God knows how many Afghans who helped us are now trapped and surrounded at the Kabul airport. This will soon become Mr. Biden’s version of the evacuation of Dunkirk in WWII. The only reason an American is still alive in Kabul right now is because they are worth more alive. Before this is over, pallets of U.S. cash money will be required for the ransom. The international prestige of the United States will not be restored in my lifetime. The President and many in the Pentagon should resign. This is going to get much worse.

Nebraska’s Third District is the number one agriculture district in the nation. This past week, I hosted an agriculture summit where I was able to engage directly with Third District producers to hear how we can ensure our producers remain among the top producing in the country.

Parental responsibility. Anybody out there old enough to remember that? Perhaps you grew up with it or had the opportunity to exhibit it to your children.

In the next year, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make its most important decision regarding abortion law and states rights in over a quarter-century. The Court’s ruling could overturn Roe v. Wade and give states more latitude in passing pro-life initiatives, including legislation limiting abortion in the early stages of pregnancy.

The U.S. Senate recently voted on a massive, $3.5 trillion spending measure that has a lot in common with the most extreme parts of today’s Democratic Party: It is radical, reckless, and has no plan to pay for what it proposes.

The U.S. Afghanistan policy is collapsing with frightening speed. In recent days I have watched in stunned amazement as the Biden administration pleads with the Taliban to not attack our embassy in Afghanistan. I am reminded of my many friends I left in that tortured little country. The Tajik tribe in Afghanistan is of Panjishir Province. No invader has ever captured it in over a 1,000 years. The Tajiks are fierce warriors. There are countless unmarked graves in Panjishir containing a Russian or Taliban foolish enough to come there over the years. Of all the tribes of the Afghans they were our most loyal and strongest ally.