Dear friend,
This past week was filled with hearings, classified briefings, votes, introduction of legislation, and meetings with constituent advocacy groups and military leaders.
On Wednesday, President Trump signed the most sweeping global tariffs plan in a century.
Nebraska is the 5th largest agricultural exporter, supporting 63,000 jobs and I strongly oppose the use of tariff authority to impose nonreciprocal tariffs. Nebraskans want free trade agreements, not trade animosity. However, for far too long our allies have kept Nebraska’s products out of Europe by charging a tariff on each imported food product based on how much milk protein, milk fat, starch, and sugar it contains. With roughly 40.8 percent of our total exports going to Mexico and Canada, I was pleased to see Pres. Trump not impose any new tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Earlier this week, I published an editorial in the New York Times about moral clarity and America’s national interests in Ukraine. Peace in Ukraine won’t be easy, but we must reject the trap of making a false choice. It is possible to end the war for Ukraine, preserve our moral clarity by holding Russia accountable, and advance America’s long-term national interests in the process. This is a Ronald Reagan moment, and the stakes for all of us are too high to waver in our resolve. You can read my full editorial here.
On Tuesday, I discussed with General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander of both the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the threat of hypersonic missiles, which give us only five minutes to respond. Our current systems aren’t built to stop them—Congress must invest in tools and tech to counter this threat. Watch the full discussion here.
I also joined the Republican Study Committee’s press conference unveiling a bold initiative called “Enforcing Maximum Pressure: Holding Iran Accountable” to counter the Iranian regime and its rising aggression in the Middle East. I’m glad to back this plan to counter Iran’s growing aggression. America can’t forget what Iran has done and should not let up until this regime is kicked out. If Iran obtains nuclear weapons, it will become an existential threat to Israel and America. Watch my full remarks here.
