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Editorial

GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION

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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) – also known as Obamacare – is ten years old However, with ten years of hindsight, it is clear the ACA has been anything but affordable for Nebraska families. In the Third District, insurance on the ACA exchange often costs upwards of $30,000 for a family when you include annual premiums and deductible. Despite the ACA raising health insurance rates instead of lowering them, this week Speaker Pelosi brought a new ACA expansion bill (H.R. 1425) before the House of Representatives.

Thinking Outloud

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How many people can say that they have driven over the speed limit in a motorized vehicle and not broken the law? There is a very good chance that many weekend evenings during the upcoming months in North Platte and Lexington; there are individuals that are speeding within the city limits of North Platte and Lexington; and the law enforcement aren’t concerned with their speed.

WHAT ABOUT THE DEBT?

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The COVID-19 pandemic cast the United States into uncharted territory. Americans were asked to take unprecedented steps in order to slow down the spread of the virus. I have supported bipartisan efforts Congress and President Trump have enacted to fight this virus and provide economic relief. However, I continue to have serious concerns about the costs associated with these bills. We have long had a spending problem, and we must refocus on addressing troubling spending patterns even while fighting COVID-19.

TIMELINES: FOURTH OF JULY

Isham Reavis (1836-1914), pioneer lawyer, judge, and longtime resident of Falls City, began writing his autobiography in 1909. It was never completed, but the existing portion includes Reavis's recollections of a Fourth of July celebration in Falls City in the late 1850s which seemed to have included everything but fireworks.

PUSHING FORWARD ON TRADE

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Exports alone make up more than 12 percent of the United States GDP. Expanding trade markets benefits our economy, relationships with other countries, and consumers. With something so critical as trade, we need to constantly be thinking about ways to improve in this vital area. For this reason, while the ongoing pandemic has disrupted day-to-day life around our nation, the Trump administration has continued its work negotiating and implementing multiple trade agreements with the support of many in Congress.

BEATING THE HEAT IN THE 1930S:

The mid 1930s saw some of the hottest summer temperatures ever recorded in Nebra-ska. When Ruth Godfrey Donovan and her family moved to Lincoln in 1934, the Depress-ion and a severe drought were well underway. Donovan, who lived in a small apartment near downtown Lincoln, recalled: "Sleeping was difficult during that heatridden time. Sometimes it would be so hot inside the building we dragged the cushions from the living room couch out on the front porch and slept on them in the cooler outside air."

IMPROVING SERVICES DURING THE PANDEMIC

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One of the best parts of my job is visiting communities across the vast Third District. While traveling the district, I enjoy touring businesses, farms, ranches, and schools, meeting with local officials, and most of all meeting with Nebraskans. Because of COVID-19, I have been practicing social distancing and have not been able to get around the state as I like. However, like all Americans, my office and I are adapting to the reality of the pandemic to keep connected with the people of the Third District.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM

The coronavirus pandemic has laid much of the American economy on its back—but a bright spot has made the disaster less crippling than it might have been. That is the Paycheck Protection Program, which funneled money back to workers through small businesses.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICAN

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Across our nation, 2020 has been a year of upheaval. Since March, our lives have been drastically different as we have stayed home, worked remotely, and avoided gathering in large groups to help protect the health and safety of our most vulnerable populations. We have taken extraordinary steps in our personal, professional, and social lives in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

BEATING THE HEAT IN THE 1930S:

The mid 1930s saw some of the hottest summer temperatures ever recorded in Nebra-ska. When Ruth Godfrey Donovan and her family moved to Lincoln in 1934, the Depress-ion and a severe drought were well underway. Donovan, who lived in a small apartment near downtown Lincoln, recalled: "Sleeping was difficult during that heatridden time. Sometimes it would be so hot inside the building we dragged the cushions from the living room couch out on the front porch and slept on them in the cooler outside air."