‘This really is a national security risk’: Sen. Pete Ricketts holds briefings in Nebraska to address federal spending

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Tuesday is the last of the scheduled stops for Sen. Pete Ricketts as he makes his way through Nebraska to discuss wasteful federal spending.

During the past four years, the federal government grew its spending by 40% with only a 2.5% increase in population, according to Ricketts.

“Well what I want people to be aware of is just how out of control this is and the risk it’s presenting to our country,” he said. “This really is a national security risk, it’s undermining the foundation of our nation.”

Ricketts said the lack of oversight in national spending is adding to the debt that stands over $35 trillion.

He believes the inflation increase started when the American Rescue Plan Act was passed in 2021.

“In that bill, there were a lot of things that drove up costs dramatically,” he said. “We need to make sure these programs are targeting who they are supposed to target and not make them broad based like this because that’s part of things that’s driving up all this money.”

In response, he’s asked lawmakers to learn from his successes as Nebraska’s former governor in order to make a change.

He said lawmakers need to work on getting back to a process that works.

“Getting back to a process that works where we pass 12 appropriations bills every year,” Ricketts said. “Allow people to debate them and amend them and pass them before the end of the fiscal year.”

Citizen journalist Lorraine said the briefings are a good way for voters to stay informed about what’s happening on the federal level.

“As a voter myself, I think that going to briefings like that, and being informed can only help me decide how to vote, to hear from the senator himself and other people who have views on financial responsibility and government accountability,” she said.

The senator will be in Wahoo at 9:30 a.m., Beatrice at 1 p.m., Nebraska City at 3 p.m. and Plattsmouth at 4:30 p.m.