The Year Ahead

U. S. Senator Deb Fischer

Each year, our country witnesses a tradition taken straight from the Constitution. The Constitution specifically charges the president with providing to Congress “information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” In his final State of the Union, the president should focus on the significant problems that face our country in the year ahead. 

Many of the issues troubling our nation and the world over the past year will continue. The threat of ISIL remains persistent and dangerous. Additionally, countless American families face economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, the federal government continues to expand and impede progress on too many fronts. 

We can, and must, do better for the citizens of this country. As you gaze across the horizon to the year ahead, I would like to tell you about my priorities for 2016 and the second session of the 114^th Congress.

The world is a dangerous place. As such, the first priority of our federal government is to provide for the common defense. I serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where I am honored to work with the men and women of our military. Our committee helps to ensure our service members have the resources they need to protect our nation, carry out their missions, and safely return home. As Nebraska’s voice on this influential committee, I will continue to conduct oversight and push the Obama administration to adopt more effective policies for defending our nation.

Entrepreneurship and technological progress will also be important in the year ahead. It’s safe to say that in 2016, American innovators will be hard at work creating new technologies that will change our daily lives. Many of these entrepreneurs and innovative companies are already thriving right here in Nebraska. As a member of both the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Small Business Committee, I will continue to work hard to promote policies that enable businesses to grow, expand, and create jobs for our communities. Congress must prevent the federal government from regulating technology with rules from the VCR era.

Nebraskans understand that roads are the lifeblood of our communities. Last year, Congress successfully passed the first long-term highway bill in over a decade. The bill was a victory for Nebraska, and I was proud to play an important role throughout the process. Our state will now receive much-needed transportation funding for important updates to Nebraska’s rural and urban highway and transit infrastructure. It also provides more certainty for states and local governments across the country as they plan for future transportation projects. In my capacity as the chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to conduct robust oversight of the highway bill’s implementation. Our subcommittee will help ensure the important programs and regulatory reforms in the bill are being carried out in an effective and fiscally responsible manner.

As we work to secure a more prosperous and healthy nation, we must also take care of our environment. All Nebraskans want clean air and clean water. Unfortunately, the federal government thinks it knows how to care for the environment better than the people of our state. This year, I will continue to hold the administration accountable for the harmful environmental burdens it places on our citizens. Nebraskans, not bureaucrats in Washington, should remain in control of our precious natural resources.

The year has just begun, and the Senate is ready to work. With your feedback and input, we will be able to deliver real and meaningful solutions for Nebraska in 2016.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.