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Friday, December 28, 2007
2007 THE YEAR IN REVIEW

The year sure went by fast. It seems like only yesterday that it was January 2007 and I was being sworn in for a second term in the U.S. Senate, and now another new year has rolled around.
 
Looking back at some major accomplishments I worked for in the Senate, it's easy to see that 2007 was a good year for Nebraskans especially agriculture producers, veterans, working families, and senior citizens.
 
AGRICULTURE PRODUCERS
The farm bill took on a new meaning in 2007. It is now officially the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007. For the first time it acknowledges agriculture's increasing role in the battle for energy independence and offers incentives to producers to grow more of our own fuel from a variety of new crops. It also includes a permanent disaster program, better water conservation,  continuation of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, smart rural development, programs to help new farmers get started, and a strong safety net for producers with meaningful reforms.
 
VETERANS
As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee I cosponsored the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act to help improve health care for service members. The bill, which came in response to reports that found care lacking, will result in a comprehensive policy on the care, management, and transition from the military to VA or civilian life of service members with combat-related injuries or illnesses.
 
WORKING FAMILIES
For the first time in 10 years workers saw an increase in the minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour in three steps over two years. It was critical that Washington increase the minimum wage to ensure that working families were able to keep up.  It is my belief that anyone who works for a living should not languish in poverty; they deserved a pay increase.
 
SENIOR CITIZENS
Congress successfully blocked a shortsighted Washington-think proposed rule change to Medicare that would have prevented senior citizens from access to rehabilitation care. Known as the "75% rule," the proposal would have required rehabilitation hospitals to meet unrealistic and arbitrary thresholds for numbers of patients receiving particular treatments to qualify for Medicare reimbursement. The rule would have severely limited the number of senior citizen patients hospitals could treat. We renamed the bill the Tim Johnson Inpatient Rehabilitation Preservation Act in honor of the South Dakota Senator who underwent rehabilitation following a stroke. It was included in a package of Medicare reforms approved by Congress in December.
 
IRAQ
2007 saw the Congressional approval of benchmarks I've pushed for the last couple of years to measure progress of the Iraqi government toward ending its dependence on the U.S. and bringing our troops home. Included are such goals as building internal security forces, distributing oil revenue equitably and recognizing the rights of minority parties in Parliament. These benchmarks were the only measure of accountability on Iraq approved by Congress in 2007.
 
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
We also were able to bring home almost $100 million in earmarks to fund key projects from scientific research and health care to universities, wastewater treatment, bridges, buses, roads and much more. When Nebraskans send their tax dollars to Washington they deserve to have some of them come back home. Working with local officials and constituencies, earmarks help fund Nebraska's priorities.
 
My resolution for 2008 is to continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put aside petty partisan politics in order to find practical solutions to the problems facing Americans.
 
Happy New Year!

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