U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) on March 14 sponsored a bipartisan bill to protect multiemployer pension payments by allowing workers and retirees to also vote on pending potential benefit cuts. “Ohio workers have worked hard for years, played by the Read more…
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) this week welcomed a proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow the year-round sale of gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15). “Year-round sales of E15 Read more…
U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) on March 11 cosponsored a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would direct the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support STEM education research focused on early childhood. “By finding Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) earlier this month sponsored a bipartisan, bicameral bill to provide regulatory relief to charitable organizations that provide housing assistance. Sen. Fischer on Feb. 7 sponsored the Building Up Independent Lives and Dreams (BUILD) Act, S. 371, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is on a legislative mission to lower the prices that Americans pay for their prescription drugs and during this congressional session already has introduced four bills toward that realizing that goal. “I’m working with lawmakers Read more…
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) is an original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that would put the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in charge of determining if new Section 232 tariffs pose a national security threat. Currently, the U.S. Commerce Department Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) is among the original cosponsors of a bipartisan bill to ensure the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) justifies that any new Section 232 tariffs meet the threshold for being a national security threat. “I’m pleased Read more…
U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) on Jan. 30 introduced legislation that would require wireless providers to divulge specific caller location information during life or death situations. The Kelsey Smith Act, Read more…
Bipartisan, bicameral legislation offered by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) became law earlier this week as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act. President Donald Trump on Jan. 14 signed into law H.R. 7279, which will permit the nation’s municipalities Read more…
President Donald Trump on Jan. 14 signed into law the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, which includes language from a bipartisan, bicameral bill originally sponsored in the U.S. House by U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH). “I’d like to thank the president Read more…
Dozens of Republican senators signed on to support the reintroduced Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2019. S. 92, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), would increase accountability and transparency in the federal regulatory Read more…
President Donald Trump on Dec. 31 signed into law a package of veterans bills known as the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, which includes provisions from three bills supported by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE). “These are important Read more…
Bipartisan, bicameral legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) received U.S. Senate approval earlier this week to update policies on recreational fishing. “Passage of the ‘Modern Fish Act’ will boost our conservation efforts and benefit the local economies that Read more…
The U.S. Senate on Dec. 6 approved a bipartisan bill cosponsored by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) that would establish a federal task force to identify current gaps in the nation’s availability of broadband Internet access service on agricultural lands Read more…
U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) last week urged the president to quickly push the trade agreement concluded between the United States, Mexico and Canada to Congress for consideration to provide more market certainty to their states’ Read more…
A dozen Republican senators led by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) last week requested that the U.S. Treasury Department improve protections for America’s community banks via tax relief provided in federal laws. The lawmakers have requested that the final rule Read more…
Newly available federal guidance informs America’s small business employers about a beneficial tax incentive championed by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Sept. Read more…
A bipartisan pro-transparency bill for pharmaceutical drug prices offered by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) received unanimous consent Sept. 4 from the U.S. Senate, which sent the legislation to the U.S. House for consideration. “Passing this Read more…
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) cited the benefits coming to their home-state farmers in light of the preliminary United States trade agreement with Mexico announced by the White House on Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) led a bipartisan delegation in seeking increased volume obligations and to ensure compliance for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “While these Read more…
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan amendment to the minibus appropriations bill that would increase federal funding by $10 million to support the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in identifying and processing the remains of fallen American service members. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), the main sponsor of the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2018, said last week that it’s time for Congress to tackle how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles debt collection for the Read more…
The newly signed defense appropriations law includes legislative language from a bipartisan, bicameral proposal introduced by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) to support the American families of military service members who died in battle. Read more…
The U.S. Senate approved an amendment authored by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) that would benefit commercial livestock carriers and her home state’s agriculture economy as part of the larger Interior, Environment, Financial Services, and General Government Appropriations Act of Read more…
The U.S. Senate on July 18 approved a bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) to support low-income, aspiring entrepreneurs in starting and growing businesses. The Microloan Modernization Act of 2018, S. 526, which Sen. Fischer introduced in Read more…
Containing several amendments provided by U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 received bipartisan approval on June 13 from the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, which is chaired by U.S. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has co-sponsored a bipartisan, bicameral bill to update federal law supporting America’s child abuse victims. The Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018, S. 2961 and H.R. 5955, would reauthorize the Victims Read more…
Under bicameral legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), wireless communications providers would be required to provide call-location information to law enforcement officers who respond to emergency calls from Read more…
The U.S. Senate has approved sweeping bipartisan legislation to reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the help of U.S. Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) that now goes to the president’s desk Read more…
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) led a bipartisan effort to give Americans more fuel choices beginning this summer. On the heels Read more…
A bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) to advance the use of precision farming by identifying and closing broadband connectivity gaps in rural areas was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 25. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has spearheaded a bipartisan congressional effort seeking the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American imprisoned in Turkey since 2016 on what the lawmaker’s office deems as bogus charges related to terrorism and espionage. Turkish Read more…
Noting that America’s senior citizens lose an estimated $2.9 billion each year through fraud, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in her weekly column on April 2 highlighted recent legislative efforts to protect seniors from scams and to crack down on Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, Republicans from Nebraska, commended the recently signed United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) for largely keeping agricultural provisions intact, action the lawmakers said bodes well economically for their home state and Read more…
Building on recent legislative efforts to enhance school safety across the nation, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on March 16 met with public policy, psychology, behavioral health, education and law enforcement professionals in Omaha to strategize on how to best Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, received assurances last week from a top U.S. Air Force commander that America is nuclear-deterrent ready. Sen. Fischer queried General Lori J. Robinson, commander of Read more…
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) on Feb. 13 joined Senate Democrats in introducing the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act, S. 2421, which would relieve agricultural producers from certain requirements Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) led a bipartisan group of his colleagues in asking Senate leadership to immediately reauthorize community health center funding and ensure health care access for center patrons and business stability for center staffs. “For more than Read more…
Several U.S. Republican senators recently wrote to President Donald Trump quantifying how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) supports U.S. economic development and workforce livelihood and seeking his support for modernizing the trade pact. Representatives of the United States, Read more…
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and a bipartisan coalition of senators want to ‘stick a fork in congressional pork,’ to coin a phrase from an online ad promoting their latest legislation aimed at terminating earmarks. The Earmark Read more…
Several Republican senators from top agriculture states met this week with President Donald Trump and administration officials to discuss the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations and NAFTA’s impact on their states’ large agricultural-products economies. Sens. Deb Fischer Read more…
U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on Monday released the third volume of his report targeting out-of-control government spending, encouraging Congress to use its authority to prevent misuse of tax dollars in the future. The 86-page report, “Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways Read more…
A bill from U.S. Rep Don Bacon (R-NE), a bipartisan measure to expand Gold Star families’ access to military-installation services, passed the House by unanimous consent on Tuesday, while U.S. Sen. Deb. Fischer (R-NE) introduced a companion measure in the Read more…
The Senate approved a bill last week that U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced to give municipalities more flexibility to comply with Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements when undertaking water infrastructure projects. Water infrastructure ranks as the third largest expense Read more…
Amid reports that the Trump administration was considering withdrawing from a trade agreement with South Korea, U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) highlighted the trade deal’s importance to U.S. farmers. The U.S.-Korea Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao outlined their efforts to draft an infrastructure plan that reimagines how critical projects are regulated, funded and maintained during a recent visit to Omaha, Nebraska. During the visit, Fischer and Read more…
A tax credit would be established for employers that voluntarily elect to offer paid family leave to employees under bicameral, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) this week. A five-year, 25 Read more…
The Senate on Monday confirmed Neomi Rao to serve as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a top regulatory position within the administration, with support from U.S. Sens. Read more…
U.S. Republican Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, along with Deb Fischer of Nebraska, stated last week that they are not 100-percent satisfied with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposals under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The EPA Read more…
Following North Korea’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could potentially reach Alaska, U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) committed to strong missile defense capabilities and an economic embargo against North Korea. Fischer, the chairman of Read more…