Opinion

The federal government spends too much. While we must continue working to get our nation’s fiscal house in order, every year Congress still has to pass 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the basic operations of the federal government. This process is one of the best ways for Congress to conduct appropriate oversight of the President and executive branch. Unsurprisingly, Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Democrats are using these spending bills to implement their big government agenda while abusing the process to prevent consideration of commonsense amendments.

A sign in the truck stop restaurant said the lack of staff could result in delays in seating and service. A friend said they had a 45-minute wait for sushi at a favorite restaurant. What does it say when you have to wait for raw fish?

A week after taking office, President Biden signed Executive Order 14008 that set a goal “of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030.” This goal is also known as 30 x 30. The order parrots the policy goals of radical environmental groups. For years, environmental groups have sought government support for policies that are harmful to agriculture and a productive economy.

After a new president takes office, they have hundreds of jobs to fill. As a general rule, presidents can hire whomever they choose. But when it comes to the highestlevel positions, the Constitution gives the U.S. Senate the opportunity to offer “advice and consent” on a president’s nominees.

Last session, my good friend Sen. Steve Halloran introduced the Convention of States resolution as he has done in every legislature since we began our term in office in 2017. Once passed, this will be Nebraska’s “application” to the United States Congress asking that a convention of states for the purpose of proposing amendments to the federal constitution be called. I strongly support this legislation, and I will always co-sponsor it.

The last few years that I flew into Omaha to visit my parents, a government run transit agency picked me up at the airport. This time, my driver was a 30-something single mother of girls, and full of delightful and engaging questions. The surface dialogue melted into more serious queries when she learned my husband was a pastor. It became evident this meeting was divinely arranged.

Pre-COVID-19, 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.

A few weeks ago, I made my first post-pandemic road trip across Nebraska driving from Lincoln to Scottsbluff and then back to Lincoln a couple days later. It was great to see the crops growing, the traffic whizzing by and even the billboards beckoning me to stop and see what I had been missing all these months.

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 27 through September 6. 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.