Columns

This week I participated in a Ways and Means Committee hearing on the future of our trade relationship with Taiwan. The hearing explored opportunities provided by ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and Taiwan. In the midst of increased pressure from China through dialed-up military exercises and heavier tariffs, Taiwan is eager to strengthen ties with the U.S. and our democratic values. Done right, expanding our trade relationship could be a win for American businesses and consumers, and a win for democracy.

A common refrain I hear from employers across Nebraska’s Third District is how difficult it has become to find workers to fill the job openings they have. As the unemployment rate rose to a six-month high of 3.7 percent in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of job openings in America sits at roughly 11 million. Job openings in the U.S. outnumber job seekers by a margin of nearly 2-to-1.

This week, President Joe Biden delivered one of the most divisive addresses to the nation I’ve seen in my lifetime. Our country is headed in the wrong direction, and those who oppose the Biden administration’s radical policies do so because of our desire to leave a better, more prosperous America for future generations. Like you, I love this great country, and I couldn’t be more disappointed by the president’s decision to point fingers and call names. This is not the leadership we need at this time, and this is not the kind of president Joe Biden vowed to be.

As communities across Nebraska’s Third District are turning their attention to back-to-school matters, preparation for harvest, and of course, Cornhusker football, this season I have had the opportunity to appreciate many of the things that make the people and culture of our state special. Among our many blessings, we have talented young people, world-class agriculture producers, and a heritage of dedicated service laid down by Nebraskans who came before us.

Recently I joined several of my colleagues at a roundtable hosted by the Energy, Climate, and Conservation (ECC) Task Force to discuss proven solutions to help build resilient communities around our country by, in part, effectively addressing threats of storms, floods, wildfires, droughts, and more. Nebraskans have been hit hard by costly and tragic disasters in recent years, and the large wildfires our state has experienced this year require a comprehensive evaluation of our prevention and response policies.

This month I had plans to spend the August district work period connecting with folks in the Third District to hear their concerns and discuss the challenges Nebraskans face. Being called back to Washington for a vote on an ill-conceived, dead-end tax-and-spend package was not on my agenda.

A recession is the worst time to raise taxes, yet here we are again – fighting against a tax-and-spend agenda. Last week, new government data show what American families have been feeling for months now: we are officially in a recession. The U.S. economy shrank by .9 percent in the second quarter of the year, the second consecutive quarter of negative growth. This alarming news should have put Democrats on notice, but unfortunately, we heard no real solutions from them to get our economy back on track.

As families begin to think about back-to-school purchases, Americans received a series of bad news about the economy this week. According to analysis by Deloitte, back to school shoppers will spend, on average, a whopping $661 per student shopping for supplies. Compared to 2019, this is an increase of 27 percent, and compared to 2021, an increase of 8 percent. Educational books and supplies are up 3.7 percent, girls' and boys' footwear is up 6.7 percent, sports equipment is up 8 percent, and music instruments are up 5.6 percent.