Latest news with #DebFischer
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
ICE says it arrested MS-13 ‘kingpin' in Omaha
Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations announced a pair of arrests in Omaha they say involved MS-13 gang members. (Courtesy of ICE) OMAHA — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a man Wednesday from El Salvador that ICE described as one of that country's most wanted criminals and said they had found him hiding in Nebraska's largest city. ICE did not identify the man, telling reporters the investigation was not yet complete. But in a Wednesday press release it described him as an 'MS-13 kingpin' and said he was wanted for murder. Nebraska U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., in a statement posted on social media outlet X, thanked federal and local law enforcement agencies for working 'around the clock to keep our Nebraska communities safe.' The ICE release described the arrested leader as wanted in connection with the homicides of five people, an attempt on at least one more and affiliation with an gang it alleged engaged in terrorism. Federal law enforcement officials announced that he was arrested with another member of the MS-13 gang also in the country without documentation. They identified him as Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, 30. ICE, in the release, said he is accused of having given orders to fellow gang members 'to commit a variety of crimes, including multiple homicides, extortion, imprisonment and drug trafficking.' Both men were arrested 'without incident' in a joint law enforcement operation that included ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It said the men had lived in Omaha. 'They thought they could hide in America's heartland, but they were sadly mistaken,' said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito, whose office oversees Omaha. 'Not on our watch.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Toronto Star
08-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Independent Dan Osborn launches new US Senate bid to challenge Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former labor union boss who drew national headlines in his race last year as an independent candidate challenging Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer is again throwing his hat into the political ring — this time to challenge Nebraska's junior senator, Republican Pete Ricketts, in 2026. 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich,' Dan Osborn said in a video released Tuesday to announce his candidacy. He criticized Ricketts, a former two-term Nebraska governor and multimillionaire who is the son of billionaire TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, as a lawmaker who 'bought his Senate seat.'
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Independent Dan Osborn launches new US Senate bid to challenge Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts
OMAHA, Neb. — A former labor union boss who drew national headlines in his race last year as an independent candidate challenging Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer is again throwing his hat into the political ring — this time to challenge Nebraska's junior senator, Republican Pete Ricketts , in 2026.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska federal delegation lockstep on big Trump bill
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb, addresses a business forum in Ashland as, from left, Sen. Pete Ricketts, Rep. Adrian Smith, Rep. Mike Flood and Rep. Don Bacon listen. Aug. 29, 2024. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Republican leadership on the Hill successfully wrangled enough Senate and House Republicans, including the Nebraska federal delegation, into supporting President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill.' The bill passed the U.S. House along party lines, 218-214, and will now be sent to the president to be signed into law. There was no political surprise from the all-Republican Nebraska federal delegation, who spent the week defending the GOP mega bill through national interviews on the Hill. 'We're delivering on President Trump's growth agenda,' Rep. Mike Flood, who represents eastern Nebraska's 1st District, told Fox Business. 'This is about growth.' The only two House Republicans to vote against the bill were Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. Earlier this week, the GOP mega bill passed the Senate after an overnight session, with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts have been interviewed about what they said is the importance of preserving Trump's tax cuts. In a trend, Nebraska's Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District Rep. Don Bacon vocally pushed back, expressing concerns about the Senate version of the bill's proposed cuts to Medicaid, emphasizing that he had received reassurances the bill would not degrade the quality of healthcare for people covered by Medicaid. He even said he won't support the Senate's reconciliation bill if it cut the Medicaid provider tax rate. But in the end, he voted for it. Bacon defended his vote, like the rest of the delegation, by emphasizing the preservation of the Trump tax cuts. 'I wish they had done the house … version,' Bacon told CNN, 'But I have an opportunity to protect taxpayers … from a 20% tax increase.' US House passes massive tax break and spending cut bill, sending it to Trump Rep. Adrian Smith, who represents Nebraska's largely rural 3rd District, said on the House floor, 'We're stopping a tax increase on the average middle class household.' Trump and Republican leadership in Congress successfully made their self-imposed deadline of July 4 to get the 'big beautiful bill' to the president's desk. Now the delegation will try to sell the bill to Nebraskans, as multiple polls indicate that Trump's signature piece of legislation is unpopular among Americans who are aware of it. The bill would make tax cuts from the first Trump administration permanent, cementing most of its benefits for high earners. It also introduces some new temporary tax breaks for workers earning less, boosts funding for immigration enforcement, starts funding Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense program and accomplishes other goals from Trump's domestic agenda. To offset the cost of the mega bill, the plan is to reduce spending on the social safety net by adding work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps. Also, by lowering provider taxes, a tax nearly every state uses to help fund Medicaid programs. Congressional experts have estimated that the package would add $3.253 trillion to the debt during the next decade. An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office also estimates that 5.2 million adults would lose Medicaid coverage due to the stricter requirements, which are expected to save the federal government $280 billion over the next six years. The bill would require able-bodied people and working-aged individuals to show the government proof of employment to remain on the program every six months. For months, state lawmakers, left-leaning political advocacy organizations, medical professionals, activists and some everyday Nebraskans have expressed concerns about the 'disastrous' consequences of the mega bill's Medicaid cuts for healthcare access and to rural hospitals. Trump's mega bill includes $50 billion for rural hospitals as an attempt to offset Medicaid cuts, but according to KFF, a health research organization, analysis, those cuts could decrease Medicaid spending in rural areas by $155 billion over the next decade. In Nebraska, it's estimated that the state would lose between $3 billion and $5 billion in Medicaid federal funding over the next 10 years, according to KKF. The director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association stated that six rural Nebraska hospitals would likely close as a result. A rural hospital in southwest Nebraska, Curtis Medical Center, has already announced plans to close in the coming months because of the anticipated Medicaid cuts. 'Unfortunately, the current financial environment, driven by anticipated federal budget cuts to Medicaid, has made it impossible for us to continue operating all of our services, many of which have faced significant financial challenges for years,' Troy Bruntz, president and CEO of Community Hospital, said in a news release. Gov. Jim Pillen, shortly following the House vote, said in a statement that he believes Nebraska supports Trump's vision for 'the America First Agenda.' 'Nebraska's Congressional delegation deserves a lot of credit for working day and night to deliver policy that puts our state and country on a trajectory of great growth,' Pillen said. He said the legislation 'extends tax cuts for families, boosts our military, secures our border, and grows agriculture.' Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, said, that Nebraska hospitals have been 'clear' throughout this debate: 'This package will undermine health care in our state, hurt patients, and drive up insurance premiums.' A Nebraska Appleseed spokesperson said the bill 'will cause irreparable harm to Nebraskans for decades to come.' The advocacy group said, for example, 40,000 Nebraskans are at risk of losing their Medicaid healthcare by imposing the work requirements. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue said Trump's mega bill is 'a win for Nebraska's farm and ranch families, and we look forward to continuing to work with our stellar congressional delegation on legislation to improve the lives of our state's food, fuel, and fiber producers.' Nebraska Republican Party chair Mary Jane Truemper said it's 'a win for everyone who believes in a strong work ethic, limited government, and opportunity for all.' Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said the Republican Party has delivered a 'devastating' blow to that American's 'promise of opportunity.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Omaha city councilman mounts bid to succeed outgoing House Republican Rep. Don Bacon
Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding has launched a bid to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who announced that he will not seek re-election next year. "I'm a husband, father, businessman, and Omaha City Councilman. Today, I am announcing my run for Congress in NE-02 to make America more like its Heartland and to make the next 250 years a New Golden Age for America. I hope you'll join me!" Harding declared in a July 1 post on X. Bacon, who has served in Congress since 2017, has announced that he will finish his current term, but will not run for re-election in 2026. "Thank you, @DonJBacon, for your 30 years of distinguished service in the Air Force and a decade of dedicated leadership representing NE-02 in Congress," Harding declared in a June 30 post on X. "You've been a true statesman who's served with integrity and heart. Wishing you and Angie all the best in this next chapter." While Republicans have been divided on the issue, Bacon is a staunch proponent of U.S. aid to Ukraine. "It is a time for honesty. Peace talks are having zero effect on Putin. His goal is to dominate Ukraine & he won't stop until he realizes he cannot win. The U.S. & Allies must arm Ukraine to the teeth, sanction Russia to the max, & confiscate the $300B in overseas Russian assets," the congressman declared in a post on X in late May. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., is backing Harding for the House seat. "Throughout a lifetime of service to Omaha and Nebraska, Brinker Harding has always championed public safety, economic development, and fiscal responsibility. Brinker will make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. I am honored to endorse him for Congress," Fischer noted in a post on X.
