Columns

After a contentious election, it is important we come back together and take stock of the unifying values and liberties which make our country great. While we have been endowed by our Creator with the freedom to self-govern, which we exercise through free and democratic elections, this freedom has endured because of the sacrifices of our veterans, as well as the men and women currently serving in our military who put their lives on the line so that we may enjoy these rights.

Small businesses are staples of our communities and the backbone of rural America. However, small businesses have also taken the hardest hit from COVID's impact and we must continue doing all we can to help them as we continue to fight this disease. In order to hear from small businesses directly while providing the latest in innovative ideas, I will be hosting a series of Small Business & Community Roundtables on November 9, 10, 12, and 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (CST) / 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. (MST).

October marks the middle of harvest season for crops like corn, soybeans, and sorghum here in Nebraska. This process, the culmination of many months of work, also highlights how we rely on infrastructure for irrigation, transportation, and bringing products to market. Infrastructure has a hand in just about everything we do, including making agriculture more efficient. By prioritizing rural infrastructure, we lay a foundation for national economic growth.

There are two approaches to meet the health care needs of Americans. The first way is a command economy approach, such as the Medicare for All effort, which uses mandates to force patients, providers, and insurers to take action – demonstrated under Obamacare to worsen access and drive up costs. The second way is to use the marketplace to drive down costs and improve consumer access like we used in constructing Medicare Part D to improve prescription access for seniors.

In 2016, the last year of the Obama administration, 3,853 federal regulations were issued. While some regulations, such as those explaining how the executive branch will implement new laws or setting how much Medicare pays medical providers each year, are necessary, many merely pile new bureaucracy onto old in an effort to micromanage our nation from Washington.

In a typical year, the six months from the start of spring to the start of fall fly by: we celebrate summer breaks, family vacations, weddings, and graduations; crops are planted and grown, and harvest begins. These last six months could not have felt more different. Almost every portion of our lives was somehow impacted by the coronavirus and our efforts to fight it. To get back to "normal," we have work to do.

The United States has enjoyed a strategic partnership and friendship with Israel since President Truman recognized the modern state only eleven minutes after its founding in 1948. They remain our most important ally in the Middle East as the only true democratic republic in the region. From the early days of this republic until now, the U.S. has worked steadfastly to help Israel defend itself while remaining committed to the ultimate goal of peace in the region. We have not lost sight of this goal, even as COVID-19 has impacted day-to-day life in both our nations.

Expanding trade opportunities by opening more markets for U.S. ag producers, manufacturers, and service providers is one of the best ways to strengthen our economy and provide stability for producers and consumers. Finding new trading partners while strengthening existing relationships with allies like Japan, is of the utmost importance. The market access we gained in Phase One of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, which President Trump signed last year, was significant and we should not squander the opportunity to complete the deal.