Opinion

In May, 10 Nebraska State Patrol troopers went to Texas for two weeks to help with drone surveillance of the border with Mexico. Recently, 60 Nebraska National Guard members went to Texas for a month for a similar assignment.

There is a petition being circulated gathering signatures from Nebraskans to repeal LB 753. This is a bill we passed in the last session creating a modest school choice program for parents. I urge registered voters not to sign it.

Providing oversight of the federal government is a critical part of my job as a United States Senator. From pushing back on illegal new mandates to fighting wasteful spending, there is a lot of important work to do. And while the Biden administration is failing on many policy matters, it’s also failing its responsibility to provide basic constituent services like passports in a reasonable time – and Americans are paying the price.

W Protecting and serving the public by enforcing our laws is a fundamental duty of American government. The post-pandemic rise in rates of violent crime in our nation has called attention to this responsibility and the important role law enforcement officers play in fulfilling it.

“Jack Sprat could eat no fat. His wife could eat no lean.” The Governor put a committee on it.

nOte frOm d.C . This past Thursday was Intern Appreciation Day, a special opportunity to thank the young people who spend their time supporting my work in our Washington, Lincoln, and Omaha offices.

Recently someone said to me, “Why do you care about the petition referendum to repeal the school choice bill? You don’t have very many private schools in your big rural district!” The answer has two parts. First, I believe the parents of all the school children in Nebraska deserve the same access to the very best education options for their children.

W Defending our constitutional rights is our fundamental duty and special privilege as Americans. The north entrance of Nebraska’s State Capitol Building is engraved with words coined by philosopher and Capitol thematic consultant Hartley Burr Alexander, “The Salvation of the State is Watchfulness in the Citizen.” Vigilance to secure our rights is no more important for any other right than it is for our Second Amendment.

Grassroots government is thriving in Nebraska. There are eight petitions circulating with hopes of making the 2024 General Election ballot, according to Secretary of State Bob Evnen.

WashingtOn d.C . One of the things I am most proud of from my time as Governor was how we improved services.