Columns
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) – also known as Obamacare – is ten years old. However, with ten years of hindsight, it is clear the ACA has been anything but affordable for Nebraska families. In the Third District, insurance on the ACA exchange often costs upwards of $30,000 for a family when you include annual premiums and deductible.
The COVID-19 pandemic cast the United States into uncharted territory. Americans were asked to take unprecedented steps in order to slow down the spread of the virus. I have supported bipartisan efforts Congress and President Trump have enacted to fight this virus and provide economic relief. However, I continue to have serious concerns about the costs associated with these bills.
Exports alone make up more than 12 percent of the United States GDP. Expanding trade markets benefits our economy, relationships with other countries, and consumers. With something so critical as trade, we need to constantly be thinking about ways to improve in this vital area.
One of the best parts of my job is visiting communities across the vast Third District. While traveling the district, I enjoy touring businesses, farms, ranches, and schools, meeting with local officials, and most of all meeting with Nebraskans. Because of COVID-19, I have been practicing social distancing and have not been able to get around the state as I like.
One of the best parts of my job is visiting communities across the vast Third District. While traveling the district, I enjoy touring businesses, farms, ranches, and schools, meeting with local officials, and most of all meeting with Nebraskans. Because of COVID-19, I have been practicing social distancing and have not been able to get around the state as I like.
Across our nation, 2020 has been a year of upheaval. Since March, our lives have been drastically different as we have stayed home, worked remotely, and avoided gathering in large groups to help protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable populations. We have taken extraordinary steps in our personal, professional, and social lives in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
For the past few months, the focus in Congress has been COVID-19 relief and recovery. While we have all adapted to the current reality, we must keep our focus on bringing an end to this pandemic and resuming our daily lives as the situation allows.
Every day we use the food, feed, fuel, and fiber produced by American agriculture. In times of strain such as the COVID-19 pandemic, these men and women need allies more than ever. Fortunately, President Trump has made it a point to highlight the work rural communities do to feed America and the rest of the world.
COVID-19 has certainly affected all of our lives. To slow the spread of this virus, we have been asked to go without many things: sporting and entertainment events, family functions, celebrations, and even congregating for worship services. While this situation is far from ideal, I am thankful we have technology to bridge the gap and keep us connected.
In rural states like Nebraska, agriculture is a way of life. The men and women who dedicate their lives to feeding the world provide a service like no other. For so long, American agriculture has enjoyed unprecedented success, producing food more effectively and efficiently than any other place at any other time in history.