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Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, my home of Nebraska is home to an array of people, places, and pursuits. It is home to Husker football and the College World Series, our beautiful State capitol building in Lincoln, and our world-famous zoo in Omaha. Nebraska is home to plains and prairies and cities and small towns and to the breathtaking natural beauty of the Nebraska Sandhills.

That unique beauty of the Nebraska Sandhills, where we raised our three sons, is where I began my travels last month during the August State work period. In total, I visited over 35 communities with over 100 stops, from Kimball to Blair and Red Cloud to Norfolk.

One visit especially near and dear to me was the Valentine Community Schools. Years ago, I served on the Valentine School Board, where I saw these schools up close and advocated for their improvements. The Valentine Community Schools are still doing great, educating bright kids who will go on to lead our State.

Farther west, I toured the Scottsbluff and Bridgeport schools. The Scottsbluff school system follows a career academy-focused curriculum, and I was impressed to see the creativity and innovation that educators are applying to that work. It is a testament to Nebraskans' dedication to progress in our local communities.

Along with the schools and educators across the State, I visited healthcare facilities and the doctors and nurses and medical professionals who keep them going.

When I toured CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney, NB, I heard about their incredible life flight capabilities. Rural Americans--well, they often live hours away from the nearest hospital, and in emergencies, that can be deadly. Good Samaritan is responding to those risks by life-flighting patients all across Nebraska and even into South Dakota at times.

While in Central Nebraska, I visited Kearney Police Department and the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department. These two departments share a really unique setup in the same building where they can collaborate and use a larger range of resources. By linking together Kearney and Buffalo County law enforcement, they are more efficient, and they do an excellent job in protecting their communities.

The August work period every year brings me fresh motivation and gratitude. I saw the ways that Federal legislation is creating real change in my home State. I saw progress all across Nebraska--in education, in healthcare, in law enforcement, in manufacturing, in agriculture, in economic development, and countless other sectors.

Most of all, I saw Nebraskans in their local communities dedicating their lives and dedicating their careers to investing in the people around them. Those are the people whom I represent here in the U.S. Senate. And just as they are dedicated to investing in Nebraska, I am dedicated to advocating for Nebraskans.

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