Columns

This week, I traveled to France with a delegation of my congressional colleagues, led by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), to honor the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion on D-Day on the battlefields where 150,000 young men from the United States and our allies commenced the largest invasion by sea in the history of the world. We participated in commemorative events alongside veterans of the Second World War and their family members, current U.S. servicemembers, leaders from Allied nations, and local civilians from Normandy.

In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Biden did not have the constitutional authority to mass transfer up to $400 billion in student loan debt from borrowers to American taxpayers. Rather than properly acknowledge the ruling of the court, earlier this year, the president unveiled a new student loan forgiveness plan, again handing the bill to hardworking Americans. Biden’s new plan already faces similar legal challenges on which the Supreme Court will likely again weigh in.

With the summer growing and travel season upon us, the cost of energy is top-of-mind for many. Unfortunately, the Biden administration continues to barrel down a dead end of poorly considered energy policy. Since President Biden took office, the Consumer Price Index shows prices have skyrocketed and stayed high as gasoline prices are up 55.5 percent, airfare is up 38.2 percent, and electricity is up 28.5 percent.

Recent severe weather and wildfire disasters in Nebraska’s Third District have highlighted the critical role the Americans who serve our communities as firefighters, police, emergency medical service workers, and members of the National Guard play in protecting our communities and property and saving lives. As the men and women who dedicate themselves to service in the face of tragedy, crime, and disaster watch over us across the country, our emergency services do not take time off. These Americans deserve to be honored.

In 2014, President Obama famously said, “I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone,” telling the American people he didn’t care whether Congress had provided legislative authority for his favored policies—he would go it alone whenever he felt like it. Ten years later, Obama’s then-Vice President, now-President Joe Biden has been ruling in the same fashion daily. President Biden’s executive actions don’t just ignore congressional intent; they are expensive, unwise, and unworkable.

The historic tornadoes which pummeled the eastern and central portions of our state last week were devastating, and supporting the ongoing recovery efforts for Nebraskans remains top of mind. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported damage to homes, farm equipment and buildings, power lines, other infrastructure, vehicles, and trees across many counties in the Third District. Fortunately, despite the destruction of hundreds of homes, no Nebraskans lost their lives.

This week, as I visited a number of Third District communities, several major economic indicators were published, confirming what we already know: President Biden’s inflation hasn’t ended, and a radical change of direction in Washington’s fiscal policy is needed to remedy an ailing economy.

On April 13, Israel endured an unprecedented attack of more than 300 long-range missiles and drones from Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been a sworn enemy of Israel since the 1979 Iranian revolution and is the primary state sponsor of terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi movement in Yemen. However, Iranian forces had never launched a direct barrage against Israel from its own territory prior to last week.