Opinion

WashingtOn d.C . The Schumer Shutdown continues.

insights frOm d.C . On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, our nation paused to honor the great Americans who answered the call to serve in the U.S.

Growing Nebraska’s economy, including opportunities for family operations, is essential to sustainable tax relief for all Nebraskans, and that was the foundational purpose for the roundtable held last week in Lincoln. On October 30, I partnered with the Platte Institute to host a roundtable discussion on the challenges producers and businesses face when trying to build or expand operations in Nebraska, specifically related to zoning. Participants included individual agricultural producers and representatives from organizations with expertise in zoning and land use.

W As farmers conclude the harvest season, market access for high-quality American products is top of mind for the agriculture industry. Because Third District Nebraskans have an extraordinary ability to meet demand for consumers around the globe, advancing sound trade policy is at the forefront of my work in Congress.

WashingtOn d.C . We’re in week five of the Schumer Shutdown.

Nebraska is cattle country. We used to be known as “The Beef State” – a nickname I always liked.

WashingtOn d.C . As the farm economy continues to struggle – exacerbated by the ongoing government shutdown – Nebraska’s agricultural producers are feeling the strain.

LB665, introduced in January of last year, was a bill intended to initiate a crucial discussion on both data security and food sovereignty in Nebraska agriculture, particularly related to the use of EID technology. This conversation continued during last week’s October 31 Agriculture Committee Hearing on my LR153, a study aimed at helping policymakers and producers understand the risks associated with electronic identification (EID) technology concerning data privacy, cyber vulnerabilities, and foreign interference.

American farmers and ranchers work hard to provide the world with high-quality, nutritious, and affordable food options, all while dealing with many challenges outside of their control. Agricultural markets are inherently volatile, and the high-risk nature of the agriculture industry means producers are particularly exposed. Recent headlines are a reminder of why American producers need as much certainty as we can provide.

There’s an old saying about government – “what is said isn’t so, it’s what is so isn’t said.” So that means that someone – maybe a state auditor, maybe a whistleblower, but often a news reporter – needs to dig in and find out what is really happening with our tax dollars. That ’ s why it was so disgusting to read recently about our Secretary of War’s crackdown on access by reporters to the Pentagon.