We need to get our lives back. We need a plan and a means to execute that plan that will ensure that as many people that want to get the vaccine can as soon as possible. Governor Ron DeSantis needs to accept federal assistance to help Florida get vaccinated.

President Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion COVID rescue package featuring an expansion of emergency paid leave, providing economic security to nearly 200 million working people, as well as our nation’s long-term recovery from COVID-19. This bill closes the loopholes in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, it provides over 14 weeks of paid sick, family, and medical leave. It also provides a maximum paid leave benefit of $1,400 per week for eligible working people, and extends emergency paid leave measures until September 20, 2021. This couldn’t come at a more urgent time, as Congress allowed the previous paid leave provisions to lapse in December, right as we hit new, devastating peaks in the coronavirus crisis. President Biden’s plan to reinstate and improve emergency paid leave is a critical step to supporting working families while reducing the spread of the virus. Congress must pass President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, NOW!

We have 10 years to turn this around. Even though Mont Vernon is a small town, we still throw out an AVERAGE of 3,516,496.2 pounds of trash a year. This is unacceptable, and also the weight of 2,583 grizzly bears. People also throw away about 5.1 pounds of trash A DAY, while only 1.4 gets recycled. And the EPA estimates that 75% of human waste could be recycled, however only 30% is. Each year, each person tosses out roughly 220.96 pounds of food waste, which is especially tragic since so many children are going hungry in the United States. The EPA also estimates that 1/3 of edible food is thrown out or wasted, and every single year, the US as a whole, disposes of 21.5 pounds of food waste. We don't have to stand back and watch!! Yes, we're a small town, but we could be the bridge to creating a healthier, greener world!! It's little things like this that can help us fight -and stop- climate change.

The United Nations Resolution 194 states: "Resolves that, in view of its association with three world religions, the Jerusalem area, including the present municipality of Jerusalem plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most Eastern of which shall be Abu Dis; the most Southern, Bethlehem; the most Western, Ein Karim (including also the built-up area of Motsa); and the most Northern, Shu'fat, should be accorded special and separate treatment from the rest of Palestine and should be placed under effective United Nations control." The location of the US embassy in the vicinity of Jerusalem, violates UN mandate of special and separate treatment of Jerusalem and is a cause of distress to local people of Palestinian origin.

Our Constitution prohibits excessive bail and yet over 412,000 innocent people sit in jail every day, most, because they can’t afford to pay their bail. Excessive bail can cost the incarcerated their livelihood, homes, and children plus costs America $15.26 billion a year. The money bail system serves only bail bondsman. D.C. has proven that a system that uses public safety and likelihood to return to court as a measurement for release work and that the cash bail system is NOT NECESSARY. This change will: 1. Prevent individuals from remaining in jail due to lack of funds. 2. Stop wealthy/well-connected individuals from being able to get out of jail despite their danger to society and prevent. 3. Bring equity to a system that disfavors those who are not wealthy.

Cincinnati has increasingly become known as a destination for its variety of restaurants and bars, but the pandemic has caused dozens of incredible local establishments to close their doors permanently. Those that have been able to weather the storm have done so at significant cost: reducing capacity, focusing on curbside pickup and delivery as well as the mandated curfews have resulted in significant revenue losses for our city’s establishments. The reduced capacity has hit hourly waged workers the hardest since we are dependent on tips, as we are paid well below the federal minimum wage. In addition, exposure to the virus among staff forces many businesses to close for weeks at a time, further hurting workers by preventing them from making any income in the interim. Ohio and Cincinnati leadership must step up now and act in the best interests of the working class service industry by allowing us to protect ourselves. A safer service industry is a safer Cincinnati.

With Michael Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, showing up at the White House in January with written notes to give to Donald Trump that were instructions to overturn the election by way of martial law. I no longer think a great company like Costco should allow MyPillow a place to set up and sell their products. MyPillow should be banned from ALL Costco facilities, as Mr Lindell has engaged in treasonous behavior.

Those who attacked the Capitol, democracy, and the rule of law—resulting in at least 5 deaths — had help and even encouragement from some members of law enforcement. Intelligence experts have warned for years about a major, growing problem with white supremacists and other far-right extremists in law enforcement. But police unions have fought and undermined attempts to investigate the problem and fire violent, racist, anti-government, and white supremacist extremists. Several prominent police union leaders have associated with white supremacists, and police unions often perpetuate a culture of violence and impunity. They do everything possible to shield officers from accountability, including officers who are compromised by bias, racism, and connections to white supremacists groups. Police unions have successfully defended officers who used racial slurs, who made posts calling for racist violence, and who have white supremacist tattoos. They have kept these officers in their jobs, on the streets with a badge and gun, and in a position to carry out violence against groups they hate (or to simply fail to protect them). This must change. The consequences of failing to address white supremacist infiltration of the police are clearer than ever. It puts all of us in danger and threatens the basic functioning of our government and democracy. Join us in calling on law enforcement leaders—police chiefs, sheriffs, and others—to root out white supremacists and extremists in the agencies they lead, and directly confront any attempts by police unions to undermine the process or protect dangerous police officers.

The leaders who fueled last year's attack enabled acts of domestic terrorism and bolstered white nationalist groups who brought symbols of hate into our Capitol, inflicted violence on others, and threatened the lives of our elected leaders and others. Despite this violence, those who sieged the Capitol were undeniably treated with higher regard than so many Black Lives Matter protesters and people of color in their daily interactions with police. They have continued to put the lives of others and our democracy at risk. Americans have put up with this type of behavior for the last four years. Do we really need this for another two years? Congress must take action towards their behavior and make it clear that this will not be tolerated. Boebert and Greene should be expelled from Congress and charged with a crime. And most recently, Boebert and Greene continually heckled President Biden throughout his 2022 State of the Union address. This sort of behavior is absolutely unacceptable for a sitting Congressperson, and just provides another reason why these two must be expelled from Congress.

For more than four years, Mike Lee has not only lacked the courage and the moral compass to denounce con man Trump’s reprehensible behavior, he’s aided and abetted Trump’s deception and domestic abuse of the American public by standing by instead of standing up.

Though President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Trump and several of his allies claimed that the election was fraudulent and pledged to fight when Congress met on Jan. 6 to formally count the votes of the Electoral College. The attempt to invalidate the votes of the electoral college, much less the popular vote of the People of the United States, is a threat to our very democracy. Nebraskans in particular should note, and remember, Smith’s collaboration in such immoral, indecent behavior. Both before and after the seditious riot at our nation’s Capitol building on January 6th, Smith made quite clear that he supports Trump's high crimes and misdemeanors in inciting his followers to fight and move on the Capitol. With ample time between the attack and the resumption of debate on the floor that day, Smith certainly had an opportunity to examine his conscience and choose Country over party. He did not. If there is anything sacred in American political life, the Nation's Capitol itself is surely that. The insurrection on January 6th violated that sanctity. By continuing to promote the vicious falsehoods that prompted the rioters' actions, Smith demonstrated an extreme lack of integrity. He showed no respect for American democracy or the tenets of its constitution, and his representation is an embarrassment to Nebraska and especially the 3rd District that he purports to represent. Smith essentially voted to disenfranchise millions of voters for the sole purpose of handing the election to our disgraced presidential election loser. Not liking the outcome of an election does not give anyone the right to flip the results.

Our first priority should be keeping everyone as safe as possible, from Covid and from expected violence. Secondly, most Americans believe that expending our human and monetary resources for this event is inappropriate and distasteful in light of what we have been through. We did it beautifully for the convention, why not now? Holding a traditional ceremony is not what the American people want or need.