Opinion

In an era of partisanship and polarization, compromise can be hard to come by. Bills that can garner enough support to clear the U.S. Senate’s 60-vote threshold for legislation are the exception, not the norm. It is even more rare to find a bill that all 100 members of the Senate can get behind, but we recently did just that when the Senate voted unanimously to pass my Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act.

As of this date, we are on day 47 of a 60 day session. We have 13 legislative days left. Of the 593 bills introduced this session, there are 106 priority bills. If a priority bill is advanced by the committee, it is normally guaranteed to make it on the agenda. There has been a lot of filibustering going on this session, more than I have ever seen. This has wasted a great deal of time. For the first time in my six years in the Legislature there will be quite a few bills that will not make it to the agenda before we adjourn sine die. This will hurt bills on both ends of the political spectrum. With no end in sight to the ongoing filibusters, the speaker has a very tough job trying to sort out the agenda.

As war rages on the doorsteps of our NATO allies, the United States is weighing the best path forward to provide additional support to Ukraine and hold Vladimir Putin accountable. The destruction and bloodshed in Ukraine are tragic, and I was moved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s joint address to Congress earlier this week. I was pleased when the House took action on a bill for which I’ve been advocating to revoke Russia’s trade privileges, a vote which President Biden and Democrats in Congress needlessly delayed. The world needs strong, decisive leadership from the United States, and President Zelenskyy has made it clear time is of the essence.

Is this a financial bubble or an economic boom? That’s the question lawmakers ponder as they make second-year adjustments to the state budget. Analysts seem to think it’s a bubble created by an influx of federal pandemic relief.

I’ve recommended for the Legislature to fully fund the canal with an allocation of $500 million this year. The Appropriations Committee has included $53.5 million in its budget proposal.

Gas prices are high – as of March 14, the national average is $4.32 per gallon, the highest it has ever been. When President Biden was asked if he had a message for Americans who are paying record prices at the pump, this was all he had to say: Prices are “going to go up. Can’t do much right now. Russia is responsible.”

We have completed all of our committee hearings and we’ve begun full-day debate on the floor. The speaker is focusing the agenda on priority bills from senators, committees and speaker priority bills. We are also working on consent calendar legislation. These are bills that had no opposition in their committee hearing, and were advanced out of committee on a unanimous vote. The process for these bills is accelerated and debate is limited.

As Western nations continue to respond to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, there’s no question increasing trade partnerships with countries who share our values would benefit the United States and the world. Realizing the administration seems content to sit back and let others lead on trade, I recently led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the United Kingdom (UK) to discuss trade opportunities and challenges.

A canal, a new prison and tax cuts are taking prominent spots on the agenda for the second half of the Nebraska Legislature’s current session. Governor Pete Ricketts wants $500 million to upgrade a 100-yearold water pact with Colorado and build a canal to divert water from the South Platte River into Nebraska.

As Nebraskans, we value resourcefulness and self-reliance. We also care for our neighbors. We recognize that extraordinary times—like a natural disaster or a global pandemic—warrant extra assistance. During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Nebraskans stepped up to help those in need. At the federal and state level, we did the same. The State has received and distributed an unprecedented amount of federal funding to help Nebraskans weather the storm over these past two years.