Columns
Veterans Day, which was originally known as Armistice Day, marks the anniversary of the end of World War I, which ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. 2018 represents its 100-year anniversary. In 1954, Congress expanded the holiday to honor not only the sacrifices of those who fought in World War I, but all of our veterans, and renamed it Veterans Day.
We've all been there. Our families sit down for a nice, relaxing dinner and just as we begin to eat, the phone rings. But who could it be? It's fairly late in the evening and mostly anyone who would call at such an hour is already gathered together.
As I travel the Third District and visit our schools, I never cease to be amazed at the intelligence and drive of our students. Their informed curiosity over key issues facing our country has left a particularly strong impression on me this summer and it is this curiosity I seek to nurture through my outreach efforts.
During Medicare open enrollment, current and prospective beneficiaries are able to update or initiate Part D coverage as needed. This year's open enrollment will take place from October 15th to December 7th, allowing seniors to make decisions regarding their 2019 Medicare coverage.
On October 5th, President Trump signed into law the 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act to update and authorize its activities for another five years. This is important to Nebraska's Third District because it contained a policy change whose specific aim is to support and revive commercial air service to our rural communities.
As your representative, I have fought to reduce burdensome and unnecessary government regulations which disincentivize entrepreneurship and strangle economic growth. In fact, regulatory issues were such a concern under the Obama administration, I consolidated my efforts under a program entitled Regulation Rewind. While the economic crisis of 2008 was a terrible event which none of us would hope to see repeated, the response under President Obama’s administration was to enact the most sweeping financial regulatory package of all time.
As many of you know, the House of Representatives recently considered its version of the 2018 Farm Bill, which unfortunately failed to gain enough votes for passage. While I do believe we will pass a Farm Bill this year, the current situation is troubling. Our agriculture producers face enough uncertainty without Washington making the situation worse.
With tax reform strengthening our economy and incentivizing job creation, we need to help more Americans achieve independence by bringing them off the sidelines and into the workforce. From this perspective, the economy is stronger than it has been in years. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nearly two decades and the number of open jobs is soaring while the fewest people since 1969 are receiving unemployment benefits.
Each year on the last Monday in May we set aside a special time to remember those lost in defense of our great nation. These brave men and women are owed a supreme debt of gratitude by each and every American who enjoys the freedoms afforded by our way of life.
I urge you to take time as you spend Memorial Day weekend with friends and family to remember those who will never come home. While there is nothing we can do to lessen their suffering, I make it a point to thank their families who are most impacted by the absence of our fallen heroes.
When Congress is not in session, I spend time traveling throughout our state to meet with hard working Nebraskans and hear their concerns. Nebraska’s Third District covers some 65,000 square miles, taking roughly nine hours to travel end to end, from Harrison to Falls City. In just the past few weeks, I’ve made stops in North Platte, Burwell, North Loup, Grand Island, Litchfield, Ravenna, Sumner, Falls City, Humboldt, Beatrice, York, Belvidere, Hebron, Bayard, Potter, Scottsbluff, Harrison, Alliance, and Crawford.