Delivering Results for Nebraskans
I’m proud of the work my team and I have done fighting for Nebraska this year. Whether it’s meeting with Nebraskans or helping you navigate the federal government, my goal remains the same. I’m working to make sure your voices are heard, your concerns are addressed, and Nebraska’s priorities are advanced in Washington.
One of my greatest priorities is remaining accessible to you. I continue to do what I did as Governor. I travel the state, talk to people, and listen to their concerns.
This year, I held 87 public events across the state. This included a series of Federal Spending and Border Security Briefings. I participated in community meetings. I hosted a Federal Issues Forum at the Nebraska State Fair focused on agriculture. These events will continue.
That’s not the only way I communicated with Nebraskans. I released the first edition of the “Ricketts Review.” This report was filled with examples of abusive and wasteful spending. It also included targeted solutions to get us back on track. I released 52 weekly columns to keep folks in Nebraska updated. I did nearly 150 exclusive interviews that were seen or heard across our state. And Senator Fischer and I hosted regular telephone townhalls to answer questions directly from Nebraskans.
I’m also proud of the legislative successes we’ve achieved this year. We passed landmark legislation to ban foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party from owning apps like TikTok. We passed the ADVANCE Act, which will expand support for advanced nuclear energy, including in Nebraska. We passed the Winnebago Land Transfer Act, which returns 1,600 acres of wrongfully-seized land to the Winnebago Tribe. We passed a water resources bill that included seven of my solutions. These solutions will help increase transparency from the Army Corps of Engineers and expedite permit processing times. They will also help mitigate ice jam impacts to critical infrastructure and report on the accuracy of cost estimates. Soon, we will pass a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that provides critical funding for modernizing our nuclear deterrent.
All these wins are bipartisan.
The Senate also passed the Kids Online Safety Act, which requires social media platforms to put the well-being of kids first. I hope the House will consider it soon.
Despite Republicans being in the minority, we delivered results for Nebraska.
I’m also hopeful we will soon pass a Farm Bill that works for Nebraska. The Farm Bill framework proposed by future Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman ensures our farmers and ranchers have the tools they need. It improves crop insurance and strengthens trade promotion programs. It includes my bills to improve flood protection, make infrastructure more resilient, and assist rural microentrepreneurs. Finally, it includes my bill to give a next step to workers on SNAP. We need to pass it as quickly as possible.
I’m proud of our work helping Nebraskans navigate the federal bureaucracy as well. My constituent services team held nearly 700 outreach events in Nebraska this year. This includes Mobile Office Hours in all 93 counties — twice. We helped nearly 800 Nebraskans navigate federal agencies. We cut through red tape and recovered nearly $5 million owed to constituents.
One constituent had developed leukemia related to his time serving our country. Despite this, the VA denied him compensation, inaccurately claiming he was “asymptomatic.” His appeal went unheard for months – until he contacted my office. Thankfully, the VA soon acknowledged they made an error. They issued him $83,000 in backpay and monthly compensation for continued treatment. We’re going to continue delivering excellent customer service for our constituents.
There’s still much work to do, and I’m just getting started. Thank you again for the opportunity to fight for you in the U.S. Senate.
My team and I are here to serve you. Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224. You can also view my website at www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.
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