OMAHA- America has found itself to be in a dark hole with 400,000 Americans dead from a pandemic, an economic crisis and a nation so divided an angry mob overran the U.S. Capitol after being stirred up by former President Trump. Omaha Federation of Labor President Terry Moore though, is hopeful that Biden can lift the country up and move it ahead. He believes the President will deliver on his promise to improve national infrastructure that will bring thousands of jobs to blue-collar workers in Nebraska.
Obviously, getting COVID-19 under control is a huge hurdle President Biden is facing and will continue to face for quite some time. The president of the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce, Bryan Slone says getting the pandemic under control will not only help the health of people but the health of the economy.
Biden has already impacted Nebraskans as he pulled the plug on the Keystone XL pipeline, which was first rejected by the Obama Administration then revived by Trump. State Senator John Cavanaugh also believes Biden will take another look at the placement for the U.S. Space Command which Trump hurriedly named Alabama as the home.
Ben Nelson, who served with President Biden when he was in the Senate, says he is hopeful the president will mend the highly polarized Senate and House population.
Climate
Biden, as mentioned before, already stopped production of the pipeline, his first task with global climate change in mind. He also plans for the country to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. John Hansen, the president of the Nebraska Farmers Union says this decision will produce economic opportunity in Nebraska. He predicts wind power generation will continue to grow in the state.
Immigration
Immigrants play an integral role in the economy as they fill many jobs that would otherwise go unfilled, especially in the agriculture, hospitality and construction sectors. Immigrants also spend billions of dollars every year.
“We can’t do our jobs without immigrant labor in agriculture,” said Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. “We need to find a way so those who want to come and work hard can do so under legal status.”
Trade and international relations
After the Trump Administration placed regulatory tariffs on American agriculture products, the Farm Bureau has lost $1 billion in sales. Trump then gave direct payments to these farmers. However, the Trump Administration then landed a good deal with China and they are now buying like crazy.
Infrastructure
The need to fix aging highways throughout the country is imperative. The president has pledged to do something about the issue by promising a $2 trillion package to accelerate rebuilding roads, bridges and modern mass transit.
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