McCook Daily Gazette: Columns: Sen. Ben Nelson

Looking out for Nebraska's military bases (02/06/12)
Efforts to cut federal spending are underway in Washington. My hope is they will yield results because the deficit is entirely too large and spending has been out of control for too long. Like anything, the cuts must be done wisely and fairly. Take defense. At the end of January, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta requested a new base realignment and closure commission (BRAC) as a part of the fiscal year 2013 defense budget...

Nebraska's proud military tradition (01/30/12)
Looking out over a gathering of about 200 people in late January as I sat in an auditorium waiting to speak, my thoughts went to Nebraska's proud military tradition. The 200 people were members of the Nebraska National Guard, who had recently returned from Afghanistan, and their families. They were the latest in a long line of Nebraskans who have served their country...

Ethanol remains top priority for New Year (01/23/12)
The ethanol producers of Nebraska and throughout the country got a big boost with the new year when a federal judge decided to block a tighter fuel standard in California from going into effect that would have cut back on the amount of ethanol going to California from producers here in the middle of the country...

A perfect case for no labels (01/16/12)
Most Americans, no matter which party they're in, want Congress to work together. They understand that extreme partisanship has led to gridlock and an inability to solve our problems. A perfect time to put aside partisan differences is during the President's State of the Union address. Instead of sitting by party on different sides of the aisle, we should sit together with no division showing political affiliation...

Priorities for the New Year (01/09/12)
With this final year in the Senate I intend to make every day count, focusing on the future of the country and working vigorously on a bipartisan basis to solve problems. It won't all be done in a year but I will re-double my efforts of the last 11 years hoping to make progress...

Leaving Senate doesn't mean retirement (01/03/12)
I received many nice calls, letters, and e-mails after I announced plans not to seek a third term in the U.S. Senate, but just because I'm leaving the Senate doesn't mean I'm retiring. Oh, sure, after I finish my term next year my schedule will once again be my own and I plan to catch up on a lot of missed hunting, fishing and time with my wife, Diane, children, and grand children. But I also intend to stay engaged in issues that concern Nebraskans...

Honoring our troops and veterans (12/20/11)
If you've paid attention to the news from Washington over the last year, you might think that everything is so partisan and political that nothing good ever happens in the nation's capital. As we gather across Nebraska in this holiday season with our families and friends, I'd like to point out that although the environment has been pretty toxic, we did come together for an important group of Americans: our active duty service men and women, and our veterans...

Never forget (12/13/11)
A Nebraskan's View December13, 2011 Never Forget By Senator Ben Nelson A wreath laying ceremony I attended this holiday season wasn't about holiday cheer. It was a very quiet, respectful and solemn affair of laying wreaths for our military men and women so they will never be forgotten...

Nelson: Don't close rural post offices before trying to fix USPS (12/09/11)
December 9, 2011 -- Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson asked for a six-month moratorium to prevent the U.S. Postal Service from closing or consolidating local mail processing facilities or rural post offices. This delay will provide an opportunity to comprehensively address reform of the Postal Service before post offices and mail processing facilities are closed in rural Nebraska and communities across the country...

Skyping with the schools (12/05/11)
When you get busy and there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done, how many of you have said, "I wish I could be in two places at once"? I know I've said that before and now I've found a way to do it. As you can imagine I get many invitations to speak to various groups including many schools, but because I'm in Washington all week long I can only accept a few requests for weekends or during Congressional breaks when I'm back home in Nebraska...

Managing our money (11/29/11)
I was reading through some information recently that had some great advice for money management. Here's how it began: "Developing a Budget: The first step toward taking control of your financial situation is to do a realistic assessment of how much money you take in and how much money you spend."...

Social Security, Medicare no place for politics (11/21/11)
Most Americans are very thankful that we live in a country that takes care of its senior citizens and doesn't break the promises that have been made to them about Social Security and Medicare. I intend to fight to make sure that these two wonderful programs are not dismantled by those who would do so for political reasons...

Reassurance for Nebraskans on retirement security (10/24/11)
I made it a point to stop by an assisted living facility and nursing home last weekend when I was in central Nebraska. It was a very rewarding experience and made me even more certain that Social Security and Medicare must be protected. As you might expect, Nebraska's seniors, including those living at the center where I visited, are concerned about a lot of different issues. They write to me on a variety of topics from mining in the Grand Canyon to tax cuts to funding for various agencies...

Bringing down the unemployment rage (10/18/11)
Whenever there's an economic slowdown, the recovery that inevitably follows is usually slow in coming. The reason is that the financial problems that led to the slowdown build up over a number of years and so it takes a long time to unwind. To give you an idea of how long it may take for the unemployment rate to recover, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the national unemployment rate is going to be higher than 7 percent in 2013, and will remain higher than 5 percent through 2021...

Working with all sides (10/10/11)
When I was governor we occasionally liked to move the Capitol around the state for a few days as a way to get people closer to their government and for the government to get closer to the people. We called it "Dome on the Roam" and it really seemed to work to help bring people together to work on problems that faced all of us...

Hard choices needed to cut the budget (10/03/11)
Sen. Ben Nelson When I'm home on weekends people talk to me about their jobs, their families and, often these days, what Washington should do to bring down the national debt. One thing I don't hear them telling me to do is raise their taxes. Nebraskans tell me Washington should cut spending first and I always keep that in mind when I'm at work in the U.S. Senate...

Paving the way for highway construction (09/26/11)
Nebraska has three seasons: winter, football, and road construction. It's an old joke but it emphasizes why we go all out in the summer months with road construction. Good roads are important to Nebraska's economy. Not only do they create jobs while they're being built, but they are our state's corridors of commerce that promote economic growth...

Every 'little bit' counts when cutting the budget (09/19/11)
Two hundred million dollars is a lot of money. Two hundred million dollars is the amount I recently helped cut from a major budget. It totals a 5.2 percent reduction in spending from that budget and is an effort to lead by example, so Washington can return to fiscal sanity...

Over-regulation shows economy (09/12/11)
Most small business owners in Nebraska I visit with have a few horror stories about the federal bureaucracy and some of the red tape they have to work through to grow their businesses or maintain what they have. Some of the federal regulations seem like useless make-work but if a business fails to comply the owner faces steep fines; money that could be put to better uses like hiring workers. ...

A decade of resolve (09/06/11)
Nebraskans are among the most patriotic Americans I've ever met. We always remember meaningful days in history. September 11, 2001 is one such day. It marks that terrible moment in history when America came under attack and 3,000 innocent people were killed in an attack by terrorists...

Hearing from Nebraskans in public meetings (08/29/11)
I always enjoy the August work period because it's a time I can travel across the state listening to Nebraskans talk about their concerns, hopes and ideas for making their lives better. For me, working in Nebraska and visiting with people all across the state is nothing new because I come home to Nebraska virtually every weekend and during congressional breaks. It's part of the job and meeting with my fellow Nebraskans is the best way to stay in touch and represent their views in Washington...

Trade agreements boost Nebraska jobs (08/19/11)
In my travels this month around the state Nebraskans have shared their worries about our national economy and their belief that the dysfunction in Washington certainly isn't making anything better. They want Washington to stop the games and politics, and come together to work on creating jobs in America...

Reduce your economic stress level, live in Nebraska (07/25/11)
In the U.S. Senate these days the debate is all about cutting spending, reducing the debt and balancing the budget; all aimed at strengthening the economy and creating jobs which will reduce the economic stress level that impacts most of the country...

A summer of floods, finances and fallen heroes (07/18/11)
This has been a very emotional summer for many Nebraskans who've met with me on a variety of topics including those who've lost homes and livelihoods in historic flooding, seniors who are concerned that they're going to be made the scapegoat in cutting the national debt, and the family of one of our fellow Nebraskans who died in service to our country...

Government must cut spending (07/01/11)
Here it is July and while Nebraskans are thinking about summer fun, family vacations, and record floods, in Washington, they're thinking about record deficits. I had planned to visit American troops in Afghanistan, including the many Nebraskans serving there, as well as U.S. military leaders, over the 4th of July break...

Improve Medicare, don't end it (06/30/11)
Years ago when I worked at the Nebraska Department of Insurance and we had a choice about whether to try to make a new health care law work or try to undo it and not implement it. We chose the first course. The law was Medicare, which was created in the 1960s because millions of elderly Americans couldn't get good enough health coverage from the private market. From Day One, in spite of opposition, we tried to make Medicare work...

Just when you think you've seen it all (06/20/11)
The 1993 flood that hit Nebraska was one of the worst in our history causing millions of dollars in damage to public, private and agricultural property and facilities. As governor at the time I thought I'd seen it all but then along comes the Great Flood of 2011 which is shaping up to be even worse...

Measuring progress in Afghanistan war (06/13/11)
Now that Osama bin Laden has been brought to justice it is time to take a fresh look at the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. That's why I have introduced a bill to establish benchmarks to measure progress toward the 2014 goal of the Afghan government leading and conducting all military operations in Afghanistan...

National security and the heartland (06/07/11)
Official Senate hearings are common place in our nation's capital but they are rare in our nation's Heartland. Frankly, there needs to be more in the interest of government transparency. It's an excellent opportunity to bring government closer to the people and people seem to like it...

Patriotism and Nebraskans (05/30/11)
Like most Nebraskans, I'm thrilled to see the respect and admiration we give veterans and members of the military these days. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. It's a time for families to get together and have fun but it's really a significant and somber occasion for Americans to honor those who have died for our country and judging by the big crowds at Memorial Day observances people are not forgetting the significance of this serious holiday...

Preserving Nebraska's rural housing (05/23/11)
There's a good news -- bad news situation going on in Nebraska that prompted me to introduce a bill in the Senate. The good news is, some of our rural communities are growing. The bad news is, there's not always enough housing to accommodate the growing population...

Military families rightfully proud of service members (05/16/11)
Patriotism and a strong belief in service to country are some of the values that prompt so many Nebraskans to join the military. It's not easy to be a member of the military and it requires considerable sacrifice, not only from the service member, but also from his or her family...

Filling health care gaps in rural Nebraska (05/09/11)
When seniors in rural Nebraska can't make it to larger cities to see a geriatric specialist, the University of Nebraska Medical Center is finding a way to take the specialty care to them with a new state of the art mobile medical facility resulting from a local and federal partnership...

Remembering 9/11/01 and 5/1/11 (05/03/11)
Most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing on 9/11, September 11, 2001. The day America was attacked by cold-blooded terrorists who murdered nearly 3,000 innocent people. Now we can add 5/1/11 to those memories. May 1, 2011, the day of closure. The day our U.S. troops got Osama bin Laden. The day justice was done...

I.D. theft-help is available (04/25/11)
A young man came into my office the other day with a shocking story. He looked very much alive but he had a report from his Social Security records that said he was deceased. He said he discovered his problem when he applied for a loan and was turned down because the credit check showed he was dead. I told him that it sounds like a case of identity theft and we would look into it right away, which is being done...

Battle to cut spending continues (04/18/11)
Congress took the first step to cut federal spending last week when it finalized the 2011 budget, cutting $40 billion. It is unfortunate that partisanship took us to the brink of a government shutdown, which would have been bad for our fragile economy, bad for our national security and bad for the American people...

Nebraska students and technology (03/28/11)
I got to thinking the other day that with laptops, cell phones, Blackberries, iPads, iPods, Kindles, you name it, that it's nearly impossible anymore to sit through an entire meal without some device beeping or buzzing. That's not a bad thing. Its technological advancements and they are constantly changing...

Increasing school efficiency and student success (03/21/11)
As most parents know, educating a child is a 24-7 job; it's not just when school is in session. It involves everything from the meals they eat, to the guidance they receive at home, to the support they get from the community. The basic premise is a child can't learn if he or she is hungry, ill or lacks direction...

If not for ethanol, gas prices would be even higher (03/14/11)
We're seeing a repeat of 2008 when Americans were paying close to $4 a gallon for gasoline and the price of crude oil was around $100 per barrel. One of the few bright spots then, and now, is ethanol. Not only is ethanol less expensive at the pump, it helps reduce our reliance on foreign oil, reduces greenhouse emissions, creates jobs, and it helps hold down the cost of oil...

How to cut federal spending (03/07/11)
I was a budget hawk before budget hawks were popular and I'm happy to see the emphasis on reducing spending that is currently sweeping Washington. It's always been popular in Nebraska. When I was governor we balanced income with outgo every year and we did it by making plenty of cuts. Nebraska's Constitution requires a balanced budget but that doesn't make the task any easier. Tough decisions had to be made and I always kept my veto pen handy and wasn't afraid to use it...

Taking care of Nebraska's foster kids (02/28/11)
There are nearly a half million children in America's foster care system today. This includes more than 6,000 in Nebraska. As the parent of two adopted children, I am committed to doing all I can to take care of these most vulnerable of our citizens. This is why I am joining the bi-partisan Senate Caucus on Foster Youth...

The Great American Race more American than ever (02/21/11)
"The Great American Race" meant more to Americans this year than ever before as it made a major contribution to our efforts for energy independence. "The Great American Race", of course, is the Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest, richest and most prestigious event, and this year, it was more American than ever...

Soaring with the Eagles (02/14/11)
Of all the achievements in my life I consider becoming an Eagle Scout as the most important because it set the stage for everything else that would follow. It taught me to complete what I start, no matter how difficult the task. Scouts can certainly understand that becoming an Eagle Scout, Scouting's highest award, is not easy to do. ...

Rural airports help Nebraska's economy and create jobs (02/08/11)
This winter has been a rough one on the east coast. When snow storms closed airports and shut down commercial air travel for one or two days people didn't know what to do. Life came to a standstill. I hope it makes people think what it would be like if those airports were closed to commercial airlines forever because that's what could happen to some rural Nebraska airports if some in Congress have their way and eliminate the Essential Air Service (EAS) program...

Living off the land (01/31/11)
With all the talk these days about strengthening the economy and creating jobs, Congress must not overlook the agriculture sector. My top priorities continue to be increasing opportunities for family farmers and ranchers to make a livable income off their lands and developing economic opportunities though rural development and renewable energy to help small towns and communities thrive...

Healthy small businesses, healthy econom (01/26/11)
You can't go anywhere in Nebraska and not be impressed by our small businesses. They're in every community, run by hardworking Nebraskans who not only provide all the products and services needed for everyone in our towns and cities, they are the driving engines of Nebraska's economy...

Healthy Nebraskans and a healthy economy (01/11/11)
I never cease to marvel at the great medical care that is available all across our state from the teaching and research centers in Omaha and Lincoln to the state of the art hospitals in many of our rural communities. These hospitals are not just good for the health of Nebraskans, they are good for the health of our state's economy...

Wichita: A kid in a candy store (01/11/11)
At the moment I'm feeling just like a kid in a candy store. Wichita, Kansas does that for any long-time American aviator. Wichita is where Beechcraft, Cessna, Lear Jet all build the aircraft that they sell today. Even Boeing still has part of the action as they build the fuselages for their 737 airliner here and then ship them by rail for completion near Seattle. ...

A New Year's resolution (01/03/11)
All the political bickering, blocking and gridlocking that went on in Congress during the old year is not what the public wants and certainly not the way we deal with things in Nebraska. Unfortunately, this is what occurred for most of 2010 in Washington and in the last weeks of the year we rushed to pass tax cuts, the START treaty, and the budget for a year that started 3 months earlier...

Stopgap funding stops Nebraska jobs, starts season of uncertainty (12/27/10)
This is the season of celebration when families and friends gather across our state for fellowship, to catch up and look forward to the promise of the coming year. Unfortunately, for quite a few Nebraskans the next few months and maybe longer will be a season of uncertainty...

A wonderful time of year for kids (12/20/10)
Every year at this time my thoughts go back to Christmas past when our kids were growing up and how wonderful they made the holidays for Diane and me. And now with grand children it reminds us even more just how much fun it is when children are around to enjoy Christmas with us...

Things to know about the tax cut bill (12/14/10)
I heard a commentator talking on the radio about "pork" in the bill that extends the Bush tax cuts. I thought, that's funny, because I've never heard things like the child tax credit, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) fix, the ethanol tax credit, and a lot of other tax breaks referred to as "pork."...

Farmers boost the economy (12/06/10)
Once again American farmers have come through to help our economic situation. Agriculture is booming even as the broader economy struggles to recover from the recession. The USDA says farmers are expected to produce the third-largest corn crop and yield-per-acre on record. At the same time prices are rising...

A Nebraska legend and the Lame Duck Congress (11/22/10)
We can thank legendary Nebraska U.S. Senator George Norris that the lame duck session of Congress is only about a month long. Before Norris wrote the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, lame duck sessions lasted four months and those who lost would stay in office passing laws during the entire time...

Job holders of tomorrow (11/15/10)
There was a lot of excitement in Broken Bow this fall when I visited there to participate in ground breaking ceremonies for a new Custer County Community College Campus, which will be part of Mid Plains Community College. Area residents are excited because those who are looking for a higher education will now be able to get it while staying closer to home...

Keeping our promises to veterans (11/10/10)
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. We used to call it Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I. Today, we call it Veterans Day. It is a time every year when American's gather out of respect to honor those who fought and served. We honor those who continue to serve, those who are missing, and those who gave their last full measure of devotion for our country...

Wellness and the workplace (11/01/10)
Employers and employees have been hard hit by the soaring costs of providing company health care benefits and, in an attempt to lower costs, are initiating employee wellness programs as a way to decrease healthcare costs, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity...

Going green saves taxpayers greenbacks (10/25/10)
Statistics show that Americans spend 90 percent of our time in buildings, which is why we're seeing a surge in the growth of green buildings, especially schools. U.S. school systems have 55 million students and 5 million faculty members. That's 20 percent of the population spending 6 hours or more each day in a school building...

Create new markets -- improve Nebraska's economy (10/18/10)
Early this fall, leaders from about a dozen countries with exotic names like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan converged on Nebraska for an important conference that could lead to increased trade with the Cornhusker State which will expand our economy and create jobs...

Ending Washington's addiction to debt (10/11/10)
Recently, I received a letter from a Nebraskan about Recovery Act funds spent in his county. While he supported the investment in his community, he also was concerned about the need to reduce government spending and cut the deficit. He said with trillions of dollars of debt piling up, we need to end Washington's addiction to the national credit card. I agree...

Fiscal summit can help preserve tax cuts, lay groundwork for spending and deficit reduction (10/04/10)
One of my first initiatives as governor in the early 1990's was to create "One Nebraska" which brought people of different backgrounds together to work out their differences and resolve problems facing the state. We were one family that was able to rise to any challenge and it worked well...

Holding the line on spending (09/27/10)
Our national economy has been through a rough time, and while we in Nebraska have been more fortunate than people in other states, Nebraskans often tell me they're watching their checkbooks very carefully these days, spending only what they need to. When I meet with business owners and civic leaders they often wonder aloud why the Nebraska way never comes across in Washington...

Small business: The backbone of Nebraska (09/20/10)
Anyone who travels through Nebraska can't help but notice the number of small businesses we have in our state. The number of small employers in Nebraska totals 41,288 according to figures from the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. That amounts to nearly 97 percent of all employers in Nebraska and accounts for more than half of our private sector employment...

Don't blame exorbitant insurance rate increases on health care reform (09/13/10)
During a visit to Western Nebraska over the Congressional break I met with a group of business people, one of whom was upset over an increase in his health insurance premium, which he blamed on the new health care reform law. I quickly pointed out that most of the health bill won't take effect until 2014. The increase his insurance company notified him about is more than likely a continuation of what has been happening with premiums for the past few years...

The best America has to offer (08/30/10)
During the 1990s, as Nebraska's Governor and Commander in Chief, I had to call out the National Guard a number of times to deal with floods, tornados and other natural disasters. In the 2000s, during several visits to Iraq and Afghanistan as Nebraska's Senator, I met with members of Nebraska's National Guard who were serving their country in war zones...

Nelson: Fact sheets show county-by-county Recovery Act impact for Nebraskans (08/23/10)
Everyone knows our economy is doing better today than over a year ago when layoffs, furloughs and plant closings were in the headlines across Nebraska. Certainly, we haven't been as hard hit as many Americans in this recession, but everyone knows we have felt it...

The new START equals a stronger America (08/16/10)
While the Senate has been out of session there are still issues facing us that are as hot as the August weather, one of which involves a treaty between two nuclear super powers, the U.S. and Russia. During one of those hot August days I had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of military experts from around the country about the New START Treaty which is aimed at reducing the number of nuclear missiles deployed by both countries...

Inside the Wall Street Reform Bill -- How it helps Nebraskans (08/09/10)
2008 was a bad year for the Stock Market, and as Wall Street tumbled many Americans tumbled with it as jobs were lost, retirement accounts were decimated, and homes were repossessed. The troubles on Wall Street sent shock waves through the rest of the economy triggering the worst recession since the Great Depression and now, two years later, we haven't recovered yet...

Some facts about the new health care law (08/03/10)
Do you realize that the new health care law is projected to actually reduce the budget deficit? It's true. It will reduce the deficit not by reducing benefits but by reducing the growth in Medicare spending by doing such things as cutting overpayments to Medicare Advantage...

Cap and Trade extraordinarily bad legislation (07/26/10)
Cap and trade legislation is off the agenda for this summer and that's good news for Nebraskans. I have been fighting against this legislation because it would harm Nebraska's economy, and was prepared to take the extraordinary measure, for me, of voting against even bringing it up for debate. That's how bad it is...

EPA decision threatens economic growth (07/12/10)
Given the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it's good to know you don't have to drill a mile down to reach ethanol. It's growing all around us, which is good for Nebraska, the second largest ethanol-producing state in the nation and getting bigger all the time...

New leadership in Afghan War (07/03/10)
I am as troubled as most Americans about our longest running war and want to see it brought to a successful conclusion as early as possible. I am encouraged now that a new leader is in place to take over the war effort in Afghanistan. It is only appropriate that during the week preceding America's Independence Day that the U.S. Senate approved the appointment of General David Petraeus as the new Afghan war commander on a vote of 99 to nothing...

When it comes to spending (06/28/10)
Like many states, Nebraska state government has a requirement when it comes to spending. Locked in the state's constitution is a provision that requires a balanced budget. There is no borrowing and no deficit spending. It's not easy to do, but during eight years as governor I balanced the state budgets without raising taxes by making tough choices when it came to spending...

A life changed (06/21/10)
An 11-year-old Nebraska girl recently presented me with a touching essay she wrote about senior citizens, including one she met who was 101 years old. She called her essay "A Life Changed." She was referring to her own life because of the values she has learned during visits to the Green House...

Nebraska's growing contribution to the military (06/17/10)
Nebraska is well known for the major role it plays in our nation's defense as home to America's Strategic Command, and it plays a broader role in our national security role than many people may realize, which is about to become even larger. The National Defense Authorization Act just approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on which I serve as Chair of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee provides Nebraska's men and women in our armed forces and their families the support, benefits and training they need. ...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Immediate benefits for Nebraska (06/07/10)
Our new health law continues to interest Nebraskans, judging by questions I'm being asked during travels around the state, and I'm happy to report there's good news for us this year. The White House recently sent out a report showing some of the improvements that will go into effect pretty soon. ...

Why we celebrate Memorial Day (05/28/10)
Memorial Day ceremonies throughout Nebraska are always awe-inspiring as Nebraskans turn out by the thousands to honor those who gave their lives in the service of our country, those who are currently serving in our military and veterans whose sacrifices will never be forgotten...

Keeping a level playing field for Nebraska (05/24/10)
Sen. Ben Nelson In this age of terrorism, it's doubtful that anyone in Nebraska would call $11 million for new security gates at Offutt Air Force Base, home of our nation's strategic forces, "pork." It's also doubtful in a state where agriculture is our main economic engine that anyone would think that $60.6 million is wasteful government spending for an agriculture research facility at UNL...

Looking out for Nebraskans over cap and trade (05/17/10)
I get a fair number of letters, calls and e-mails from many Nebraskans who fear that any cap and trade plan coming out of Washington will damage the economy, especially Nebraska's economy where we rely on large amounts of coal, and our manufacturing and agricultural industries depend largely on affordable electricity and fuel...

Border security still priority (05/10/10)
mmigration reform is getting a lot of news these days, but I think it will be very difficult to get anything through Congress that is comprehensive any time soon, nor should we until the borders are secure. Any country that cannot secure its own borders cannot guarantee personal or economic security of its people. ...

How to judge a judge (05/03/10)
We don't know who it will be yet but it's likely that in late spring or early summer we will see hearings for President Obama's choice to replace the retiring John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the Constitution, the President makes the appointment with the advice and consent of the Senate. ...

Nebraska: A leader in the fight against cancer (04/26/10)
A friend of mine recently had life-saving cancer surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His first doctors, who were not with UNMC, told him this specialized surgery was not done in Nebraska.... That he'd have to go to the Mayo Clinic...

Nebrska's wind power potential (04/19/10)
With the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day this week, I am reminded about the considerable potential Nebraska has to move our country forward along the road to a prosperous, green energy economy -- with wind. While wind energy is just one type of clean energy we produce, it shows a lot of promise in Nebraska. ...

Common sense tax relief helps bring health professionals to rural communities (04/13/10)
The days of country doctors making house calls in our rural communities, and riding by horseback out to our farms and ranches, is part of the heritage that makes us proud to be Nebraskans. That tradition is one reason I fought for tax relief in the health reform law that comes into play with this week's tax filing deadline...

Health care reform and small business (04/06/10)
Small businesses form a huge part of the US economy, so now that health care reform is law, it's important to understand how it will affect small business owners and their employees. In Nebraska, nearly 80% of businesses have fewer than 100 employees, and these businesses are the economic lifeblood of the state...

Ensuring STRATCOM continues to keep America safe (03/30/10)
Last week, General Kevin Chilton, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) was in Washington for a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which I am a member. STRATCOM, headquartered south of Omaha at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, is charged with responsibility for many missions including, nuclear, space, missile defense, and cyberspace...

Transportation summit aims to cut through red tape (03/23/10)
If there's one thing Nebraskans enjoy less than bad roads, it's road construction projects that never seem to end. Slow progress on needed transportation improvements, or projects that never seem to get off the ground, are about as welcome as traffic congestion, crumbling asphalt, and project delays...

One year after stock market 12-year low, economic indicators are cause for optimism. (03/15/10)
The economic turmoil that rumbled through our country after September 2008 was certainly one of the toughest times we've ever faced as Americans. It is easy today to remember what we felt when economists warned we might be headed into a major economic depression the likes of which we hadn't seen in decades. Most of us felt worried...

New credit card rules to protect Nebraska (03/09/10)
Time and again, I have heard from Nebraskans who have been treated unfairly by their credit card companies. The stories I heard are the reason why I voted for a tough new credit card holders' bill of rights, which took effect in the last week of February. ...

Congress is responsible for cutting greenhouse gases, not EPA bureaucrats (03/02/10)
It seems most people want to cut down on greenhouse gases so we can protect the Earth's atmosphere and boost our energy independence. Many members of Congress are working on ideas and seeking support to do that in various energy bills being written and debated right now...

Stimulus tax relief helps grow our economy (02/24/10)
Everyone knows our economy needs spending to get things rolling again. Everyone also knows that cutting taxes and providing tax relief can stimulate that spending. This week, thanks to tax cuts passed a year ago, more than 680,000 Nebraskans will keep about $6.7 million their hard-earned money. People will spend it how they like and not have to send it off to Washington. They kept another $6.7 million last week. They'll keep another $6.7 million next week...

Administration's 2011 budget makes our veterans a top priority (02/15/10)
There is some very good news in the Administration's 2011 budget for 170,000 veterans who live in a 104-county area of Nebraska, western Iowa and parts of Kansas and Missouri. The aging VA Medical Center in Omaha that serves them is finally in line for much-needed makeover that I and many others in Omaha, and the VA system, have worked toward for years...

Strong support for president's trade pledge (02/12/10)
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama stated his strong support to double exports within five years, noting how important trade is to job growth and business investment. I could not agree more. It was encouraging to hear the President's views on the importance of trade. At a time of 10 percent unemployment, enacting trade agreements that spur job growth and boost our economy should be a no-brainer...

Celebrating a century of Scouting (02/08/10)
This week marks an important milestone in America and it's one that deserves attention because it involves preparing young people to be good citizens. A century ago on February 8, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated to educate boys and young adults about character, participating in society and personal fitness...

2010 the road ahead (02/01/10)
Last week's State of the Union Address was encouraging about the direction of the country, but also focused on the hard work that must be done to keep the country on track. Before the speech, I hoped that the President would discuss the issue most on the minds of Nebraskans: how to keep the economic recovery going and create new jobs. I was glad to hear the President spend the majority of the speech on his plans for the economy...

Bipartisanship: Prescription for what ails us (01/25/10)
If you can read one thing into the recent election in Massachusetts it is that America needs bipartisanship now more than ever to create jobs, boost our economy, clean up our environment and to fix a national health care system that 70 percent of Nebraskans want fixed, according to a recent newspaper poll...

Health bill controls costs (01/19/10)
There is no doubt that the Senate Health Care Reform bill has caused controversy with attacks coming from both sides. Some think it goes too far, others think it doesn't go far enough. Like is so often the case, there are many in the middle who have contacted me and are pleased we are doing something because they understand that the system needs to be repaired...

Misunderstandings in health care bill confuse the public (12/29/09)
It's unfortunate that a provision in the health care bill that will help Nebraska taxpayers and eventually taxpayers in all states picked up an unfair nickname -- "The Cornhusker Kickback" -- because it is definitely not a kickback that came in exchange for my vote. Partisan misnomers like this are designed to confuse the public about an important issue...

The Silicon Prairie -- Nebraska's high tech reputation continues to grow (12/21/09)
Robots being developed in Nebraska will play a role in NASA's future manned missions into space. These robots won't be playing just any role, either. They'll be playing a life saving role for astronauts. Taxpayers invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to train an astronaut and it costs hundreds of millions of dollars to launch and carry out space missions which are getting longer and longer in duration...

How to help finance the buildup in Afghanistan (12/14/09)
As the war in Afghanistan escalates some have suggested increasing taxes, which I think is a bad idea especially at a time when many Americans are still struggling with the economy. We need to get our fiscal house in order, and be honest about the costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...

Sen. Ben Nelson
A Nebraskan's View

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