Pete Ricketts: “over the last week, my home State of Nebraska has been hit by bitter winter storms. We have had subzero temperatures…”

“over the last week, my home State of Nebraska has been hit by bitter winter storms. We have had subzero temperatures, snow, and high winds that have closed many roads across the State of Nebraska. As always, in times like these, Nebraskans step up to help. I want to thank all of our first responders, whether they were snowplow drivers, law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, other emergency personnel--all the folks who demonstrated their grit and service this last week to be able to help people out. And I especially want to thank Nebraska State Patrol for the over 1,400 drivers they assisted during this crippling winter weather. Hospitals saw a number of frostbite injuries. Our farmers and ranchers continued to work to ensure our food supply here at home. I want to thank my Federal delegation as well and will work with them to provide any support that is needed. I appreciate that Governor Jim Pillen declared a state of emergency and will also assist with any Federal assistance that may be needed for this emergency. As we recover from these storms, I stand ready to work with my colleagues. It is also an opportunity for us to be able to think about how government can do better. Many times a storm like this will create situations where we need to tease out what we should do better for the next time. However, in this case, one of the lessons has become clear right away.…”