Columns
It was another busy week in the House Ways and Means Committee with important hearings on tax policy and the state of our economy. We heard from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in his annual testimony before the committee that the American economy is strong and our efforts at reforming the tax code have been very successful.
We celebrate National Ag Week to recognize the tireless efforts of our farmers and ranchers to feed the American people and a sizeable portion of the rest of the world. It has always been a point of pride for me to represent Nebraska's Third District, which is the highest producing ag district in the country.
This week, House Democrats proposed two bills under the guise of curtailing gun violence. In reality the bills amount to a fundamental erosion of our Second Amendment rights, which should never be allowed. In Nebraska, the need for firearms is the same today as it was when the Second Amendment was enacted - before we were even a territory of the United States.
Access to quality healthcare is among the most important issues facing the country today, especially for aging Americans. In rural areas, such as Nebraska's Third District, this is even more true. Nearly 50 million Americans, or one in seven, rely on Medicare for their healthcare needs in retirement or when disabled.
As you may know, I recently accepted the top Republican position on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, which writes tax policy for Congress. It's quite an honor for me because my colleagues and I on this panel represent the first line of defense against higher taxes. According to the U.S.
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There isn't much to get excited about when it comes to healthcare these days. Obamacare has failed to deliver the affordable outcomes it promised in just about every way imaginable. The broken promise which troubles me most is President Obama's famous line, "if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it," because this couldn't have been any further from the truth.
Each year, people travel to Washington, D.C. from all over the United States to demonstrate peacefully on behalf of the unborn as part of the March for Life. It warms my heart to see so many people - many of them young Nebraskans - braving the elements to remind our national leaders that we value life in its earliest form.
Our borders reflect the history, geography, and sovereignty of our nation. We monitor and defend them for a number of reasons, including the protection of American citizens from illegal drugs and individuals who would do us harm. The United States is a nation of laws, applied broadly and evenly, with no person outside their reach. If any of us break the law, we face consequences.
It's a new year and a new Congress. While I would have preferred to retain Republican control of the House for the 116th Congress, I believe there are many things we can accomplish in Washington to serve the best interests of the American people.