WASHINGTON, D.C.- Freshman U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts delivered his maiden speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, calling on his colleagues to take a more active role globally by maintaining peace through strength. Sen. Ricketts' comments come as concerns grow over China's military modernization and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Our allies are seriously questioning America's commitments to our friends," Ricketts told his colleagues, "Even worse, the bad guys...are questioning our resolve."

Sen. Ricketts went on to touch on the situation at the U.S. southern border, accusing the Biden administration of "turning a blind eye to the devastating humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border," a common talking point among Senate Republicans. Ricketts then criticized Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, highlighting that 13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing. "American service members lost their lives, including Nebraskan Corporal Daegan Page," said Ricketts.

The Senator did not, as expected, touch on the Ukraine invasion in-depth, but has previously supported providing aid to the country with oversight. The maiden speech of U.S. Senators is a Senate tradition, allowing freshman Senators to set the tone for their term by giving their first major address on the floor.

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