Dear John,
Two weeks ago, I was glad to host members of the British parliament, Tom Hunt and Scott Benton. They visited Nebraska’s second congressional district as a part of their tour of the United States, organized by the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
During their visit to Nebraska, they learned about the unicameral, de-centralized government organization, immigration, labor and apprenticeships, and agriculture in school. This trip helped to strengthen the ties with our foremost ally in Europe. This is an advantageous visit considering Nebraska’s upcoming trade trip to the U.K.
MP’s Hunt and Benton began the day by visiting Ralston High School’s Urban Agriculture programs. They were able to tour Ralston High School and learn about the many careers a student can pursue. We also discussed the benefits of locally controlled school districts which is in contrast to the U.K.
The next stop on their visit was the Sojourn Café in downtown Ralston. Tom and Scott were delighted to meet with Ralston Mayor Donald Groesser, Papillion Mayor David Black, and La Vista Mayor Doug Kindig, learning about Nebraska’s nonpartisan Unicameral and economic developments in Nebraska. The MPs were also happy to hear about the origins of the Reuben sandwich.
After lunch, Tom and Scott met up with me at the Firefighter’s Union Hall. They spoke with many different trade organizations and law enforcement representatives. They discussed how to encourage skills training and apprenticeships, worker safety and a bill I co-sponsored that would address violence against transportation workers.
Next, we visited KANEKO in downtown Omaha to interact with their new Carne y Arena exhibit. This exhibit utilizes a virtual experience of a southern border crossing. After the exhibit, we had a robust discussion with local organizations about the plight of refugees. I learned quite a lot from Tom and Scott about the UK’s own immigration issues. I reiterated my commitment to DACA and its recipients while also making clear my beliefs on our current immigration system and the need to reform it.
Next, I wanted to make sure they experienced Omaha’s cultural diversity, so we went to Isla Del Mar in South Omaha and toured 24th Street. Unfortunately, they were not a fan of guacamole. They don’t know what they are missing!
Finally, we toured the Henry Doorly Zoo where they met with staff to discuss its mission. They were impressed with Henry Doorly’s expanse of exhibits and worldwide conservation efforts. Tom and Scott both found professional training, technology transfer and research with zoo colleagues from around the world to be quite interesting.
I would like to thank both statesmen for visiting Nebraska and learning more about our government and other organizations.
As always, I appreciate your thoughts, concerns, and questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at (402) 938-0300 or you can contact us at https://bacon.house.gov/contact/. God Bless you and your family.
Sincerely,
Don Bacon
