Senator Pete Ricketts and the Save ACT

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And we're going to get right to it today because
I have a very special guest, a US Senator Pete
Ricketts is with us today. As you all know, Senator
Ricketts served as the governor of the Great State of Nebraska.
He was a fortieth governor from twenty fifteen to twenty
twenty three, and now he is serving us in the
US Senate. Senator Ricketts, welcome.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you very much, Mayor.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
I appreciate the opportunity on Well, we have so much
that we want to talk to you about, and I
know your time is precious and limited, but I'm going
to start out with Iran because I know the President
is speaking tonight in prime time.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
We're entering our second month of the conflict I will
call it in Iran, and I think I'm just going
to ask you to start out and tell us what
we need to know. I mean, why is the US
in this conflict with Iran? And you know, what are
our goals? And also when are we going to know
that magic question when we're done? And we really just

(00:57):
want to hear your take on all of it.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
This Well, the President just posted on true Socials that
Iran has asked for a cease fire, And obviously there's
a lot that goes between the President making that announcement
and actually getting to the point where ships are going
through the Straits of Hormuz again, but let me start
with what the administration has said from the get go,
which is the goal of this operation is to degrade

(01:22):
Iran's missile capabilities. So one of the things that we
know is that they were producing a lot of missiles
very inexpensively, and at some point that was going to
overwhelm our ability and our allies abilities to defend against them.
And we also now know, after they've launched a missile
at Diego Garcia, that they've got intermediate range missiles that
can reach London in Paris, which means reaching the United

(01:44):
States would not be far behind, perhaps only months away.
And a country that chance dut to America and has
a nuclear weapon and a missile that can reach the
United States is very dangerous. It can never be allowed
to happen. We can never allow rod to have a
nuclear or bomb, and they've alrea admitted they've got enough
nuclear material for ten bombs. We can't let them produce one,

(02:06):
and we can't let them have a missile that could
reach the United States. So degrading those missile facilities, the
storage side, the production facilities are launchers is a big
part of this operation. Continuing to grade their nuclear facilities,
sinking their navy, destroying your air force. Really, that's what
this operation is about. And when the Administration field they've
done it to the point where we've checked iron at

(02:29):
least for this point in time, that's what I expect
they'll draw us to close. It really is about making
sure that Iran cannot do this. And again, if you're wondering,
well why now, and you go back to how much
they've been producing missiles and the fact that actually they
can get one to Europe, it really does present this
as an imminent threat because if they could reach the

(02:49):
United States. Remember, this is a theocracy, and there are
officials in Iran who believe that they can triger armourgain
and they go to heaven. So this is a this
is a problem for us that we're dealing with this
kind of regime and we cannot allow them to have
a nuclear weapon that could reach the United States.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
Is there no longer a nuclear program in Iran as
far as we know then, I mean they were saying
ten over ten thousand targets have been decimated. Is that
program been eliminated as far as we know.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Well, we have destroyed their nuclear facilities and buried a
lot of what they've done. You know, what they had
on the ground has been buried by our bombs and
so forth. But what we have to do is continue
to make sure that they don't try to re resurrect that,
because that's exactly what they've been doing since we first
took the constructure nuclear facilities. They have been very stubborn

(03:43):
about going back and trying to do it. And really
we need to put this in perspective as well as
the fact that think they're putting all their resources into
things like a nuclear program in missiles and allowing their
people to suffer. Right what those protests that we saw previously,
where you know, Iran had killed thirty thousand, perhaps thirty
thousand their own people, were sparked by the fact that
they have forty percent inflation, they're running out of water

(04:05):
in place like tron where radio officials suggest that they
move the capitol. I mean, they are really forcing their
people to suffer by not investing in the things that
will create a quality of life with the Ranian people
and putting it into a missile program and a nuclear program.
And so that's what we have to continually do is
make sure they cannot get that done.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
It's really known that they know they are not only
killing their own people, but they hate the United States
and they hate Israel, they hate the Jewish people. And
that's something that I think people got to understand when
they're questioning, why are we over there, what's the purpose
of this? I mean, with these no kings rallies that
we were hearing all over the United States this weekend,

(04:47):
it was just baffling to me why these people were saying,
we don't need to be over there. And Senator also
it became an issue also besides the nuclear power of
gasoline and oil. Correct, And that's what's going on on
with the straight of horror moves.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well. One of the things that we have seen is
that Iran, when they are allowed to profit from their
oil money, they fund state terrorism. The largest state sponsor
of terrorism. They funded Almas, the Hoho Thies, Hesba Lap
and under President Trump's first term, he cut that money off.
In fact, he brought their foreign reserves down to under

(05:23):
fourteen billion dollars and sadly what both President Obama and
President Biden is I mean President Obamas shippedhim by one
point seven billion dollars in cash in palates, I mean
just like said him the cash, and then President Biden
released the sanctions and allowed billions of dollars to flow
to Iran. And both times what we saw when they
got the money, they just continue to fund the terrorism

(05:44):
and ramp that up. So to your point about hating Israel,
absolutely the target has been Israel, but we also know
that the Iranians and a lot of the improvised explosive
devices were targeted Americans. They've killed hundreds, if not thousands
of Americans specifically through what Iran has done to find
to attack Americans. So this is a regime that is very,

(06:05):
very dangerous, which is why we have to continually make
sure that they do not have the capability to harm us,
whether it's cutting off their oil supply, money, making sure
they don't have a nuclear program, making sure they don't
have missiles they can reach the United States. All those
are things that will make sure that we keep Americans safe.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
And has there been a regime change in your opinion, it.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
Is difficult to say at this point. Obviously, both the
United States and Israel have work to be able to
grade their capabilities, and a lot of their leaders have
been killed as part of the air campaign, but it's
not clear where they are. Obviously, if the President's tweaked
can be followed up on and Iran does ask for
a ceasefire and we can get a more modern regime there,

(06:48):
similar to what President Trump has done in Venezuela, you
know somebody that we can work with that would be
really really good news for not only the region but for.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
Our country, and speak a little bit to the President
has expressed his frustration quite often about our allies, particularly France, Spain,
Italy not helping and not helping as far as opening
up the straight of Hormuos in the Persian Gulf too.
Can you speak a little bit about our allies and
them not joining the US like the President would like

(07:19):
them to, because obviously this is a big threat to
them too.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well. One of the big things that we have that
our adversaries like China and Russia don't have his allies.
And it is puzzling that the European nations who get
a lot of their oil from the least, where as
we really don't. And now that Iran has demonstrated they've
got missiles can reach Paris in London, you would think
that they'd be more interested in getting involved. And we

(07:47):
have seen, for example, the UK doing a better job
of getting engaged in this. I would like to see
more participation. I would like to see countries like Spain
that have banned their to US reverse their policy. So
I do think there's more work we need to do
with our European allies to get them engaged, because I
do think they've got invested interest in making sure this

(08:10):
is a peaceful regional world.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
Absolutely, and you know I want to switch gears. Well
we got you just for a few seconds. Can you
speak a little bit on I just continue to question
why the Democrats do not want to pass the Save Act.
I mean the reports and the articles I have written.
At least seventy to eighty percent of Americans support this.
Why won't the Senate pass that bill to secure elections?

(08:35):
It's about voter ID and it just I think it
baffles everybody that I have talked to why this can't
be passed. Can we have your your thoughts on that too?

Speaker 2 (08:47):
I believe the Senate Democrats are just so in control
by their far left wing base. To your point, this
is a majority issue on just about anybody you poll,
whether it's Republicans, Democrats, you know, pick your group of people. Look,
having voter ID is just common sense, right. We passed
it here Nebraska sixty five thirty five, but it was

(09:08):
on the ballot. And I don't know anybody who's arguing
that we should allow non citizens to vote in elections.
But sadly, we actually have communities in places like Maryland
and Vermont in California where they actually do allow non
citizens to vote in municipal elections, illegal in federal elections.
But that begs the question is, well, what are you
doing to stop those people you're allowing to vote that

(09:30):
are here illegally to vote in municipal elections to vote
in federal elections. It's yeah, so, and one of the
other things that you know, the Democrats have said they're
for voter ID, but when we've given the opportunity to
vote for it, they've voted against it. In fact, they say, well,
we don't mean voter ID like a picture, we mean

(09:51):
voter ID like an envelope. Like from your utility bill.
It's got your name on it, and of course everybody
knows you can't take a utility bill and get on
airplane and fly anywhere in this country. Well, it really
is disingenuous when the Democrats stated or four O voter ID,
because they're really not. And that's really what's driving this.
And to your point, you know, in the Senate, we
need sixty votes to pass just about everything, and that

(10:13):
means we need Democrat help to do it. And while
the Democrats have been saying they're for voter ID and
so forth, they have not been willing to vote for
any of the measures we put up to be able
to give them opportunity to show that real voter ID
to protect our election in Jegory is something that they're
willing to support.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
Absolutely. It's just a way for the state to keep
the voter rolls clean. People that have moved, people that
have died, people that are illegal. One last question, I
want to go back to Iran, and then I know
you're busy, I'll let you go. But do you think
that we will ever be able to achieve peace or
stability in the Middle East?

Speaker 2 (10:50):
Well, if you look what President Trump is done with
the Abraham Accords, and especially I do think that this
conflict gives us a real opportunity because the Gulf States
have seen the real danger iron presents and it's going
to hopefully be up to the people of Iran to
overthrow this tyrannical regime that they have. But if we

(11:10):
can get that step done, or at least a more
moderate regime in Iran that is going to start looking
out for the good of its people rather than pursuing
these charitable policies of having a nuclear weapon in a
missile look at region the United States. I do believe
that we are a point where we can start bringing
together some of the Gulf nations with Israel like some

(11:31):
of them already have, and that we can really get
to a place where we can start focusing on the
prosperity the people in the region and not some of
the conflicts we've got in the past.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
Senator, thanks so much for being with us today. How's
the campaign going good?

Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yep. We're just continuing to work hard, get out across
the state, talk to folks about the things we're doing.
The Working Families tax cut is putting more money back
in people's pockets. We've secured the borders to keep our
streets safer. And of course we're working on defending our
country by investing in our military and deterring our adversaries
like China Russia strike. So we're going to keep our

(12:07):
country safe in our nationally as well well.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
We certainly appreciate your service. I certainly appreciate your service
as governor and now as US Senator. Good luck. Thank
you so much for being on the show today. We
really appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
All right, Thanks Verry, you have a good one.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
Thank you. So now we want to hear from you,
you know about what what Senator Ricketts has said. It's
your chance to speak up, sound off. Send your emails
to comment at kfab dot com, or you could call
us at four oh two five five, eight eleven ten.
Very good Gene, Good morning, Good morning, April Fool's Day,

(12:42):
April Fools Day. Okay, I have a joke for you.
I'm bad at jokes. Let's hear it. Not who's there? Noah?

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Noah?

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Who Noah? Any good April Fools jokes. That's pretty bad.
I can't remember a joke. I'm really bad. I have
one more. Okay, I have one more. If April showers
bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring June sun pilgrims?

(13:11):
Ha ha. We need that laugh thing that you could
put in here. Those are my jokes for today. I'm done.
I'm done with April fools now.

Speaker 5 (13:22):
I know there.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
Okay, I'm bad at jokes, and I'm not going to
bring up why why you know if six is afraid
of seven wise whatever that joke is. My grandson tells
me that joke all the time. Seven eight nine. I
know that's it. But thank you all for being with
us today. And I really want to thank Senator Ricketts too, because, boy,
I tell you, I watch the news every day. I

(13:46):
read the Wall Street Journal every single day to try
to keep up with what is going on in the
world and what is going on in DC. And DC
can be crazy town, and it is today. I mean
that the President is at the at the at the
he's hearing right now in the in the Supreme Court,
and there is a huge he's at the hearing in

(14:08):
the Supreme Court and they're hearing a citizenship case and
Trump is in attendance, and there are protesters outside the
Supreme Court building, like crazy protesting no kings and everything else. So,
like I said, it can be really crazy town down there.
But it's very interesting to me to hear are different
elected officials and in their support of what is going on,

(14:32):
because their knowledge is so broad about what is going on,
especially in the Middle East, and we're there to try
to protect us. I mean, the threat of Iran having
nuclear weapons and nuclear powers that can get to the
United States is all the reason in the entire world
for us to be in this conflict that we are
in now. And I do call it a conflict, not

(14:53):
a war because Congress declares a war. That's where we're
at right now.

Speaker 6 (14:57):
I have Pete on the phone line, and like miss
Jane said earlier, you can reach out to us four
oh two, five five, eight eleven ten or email us
comment at KFAP dot com. Pete, thanks for calling the
Genes' author show.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
You are live.

Speaker 5 (15:12):
Good morning, Good morning, Marria. Jeane.

Speaker 4 (15:15):
My name is also Pete. But I have a lot
more hair and a lot less money than the last.

Speaker 1 (15:21):
He'd appreciate that, I'm sure.

Speaker 7 (15:24):
Oh yeah, I like the hair.

Speaker 4 (15:26):
Hey, so this actually relates to Senator but then Governor
Ricketts and the Save Act. So I think it was
like twenty fifteen. Senator Ricketts was then Governor Ricketts, and
he vetoted a bill in the legislature which granted the
driver's licenses to certain legal immigrants, a lot of them

(15:46):
I think were eligible, you know for the DACA program.

Speaker 7 (15:50):
Yes, And you know I've only ever.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
Reached her devote through the DMB when I got my
driver's license, like that was the only way.

Speaker 7 (15:59):
So now use the sport the Stave Act.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
But you also very much, very publicly and very vocally
supported giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Do you know,
first what do we do to make sure that these
illegal aliens who get driver's licenses by law that you supported,
How do we know they're not registering the vote? And
what are we doing there? Maybe you know, maybe you don't,

(16:22):
but also have your thoughts on that the whole thing
changed at all.

Speaker 1 (16:27):
No, you know that's not quite accurate what you're saying,
because what I said I supported was the DACA, especially
the students, to be able to get driver's licenses because
you know that so many of them, they're not really
considered DACA of being here illegally, they do have legal
status to be in school, and what I said is,

(16:49):
you know, we had some of these DACA students in
our universities that were in studying architecture and in studying law,
and they weren't able to drive a car. And that's
what concerned me. And I thought, if they had that status,
I would support them having driver's license too, But there
was a lot of caveats that went along with that.

(17:12):
I mean, they had to prove that they were a
DACA individual. Now I didn't say that I supported all
illegals having driver's license. I never said that, and I
never came out and said that. So the thing with
the Save Act, you know, it's baffling to me. Like
I said, all the national polls show that at least
eighty percent of Republicans and seventy percent of Democrats support

(17:34):
the Save Act, which is just supplying some sort of
id like Senator Rickett said, it doesn't have to be
a drive like a birth certificate. Although it baffled me
too when somebody like Bernie Sanders was out there saying
on national News, I don't know where my birth certificate is.
I don't know where to get it. And I'm thinking,

(17:56):
what I mean, I think everybody knows if you lose
your birth certificate, if you lose your marriage license, you
go to the county where you are married or born,
and you have asked for a duplicate. I mean, it's
pretty darn easy to get id. But as Senator Ricketts said,
they're just asking, you know, I mean, can you show
a utility bill something to show that you are a

(18:19):
US citizen and you should be legally able to vote.
It's to keep those voter rolls clean. I mean, there
are people that have moved, there are people that are dead,
there are people that are illegal, and why wouldn't people
want to support keeping the integrity of our election system
and to secure it. That's why I don't understand why
there's this opposition to the Save Act. They're saying, we're

(18:41):
trying to enfranchise voters to decrease the number of voters.
That's what a lot of the Democrats are saying, and
that just is not accurate.

Speaker 6 (18:50):
I got an email here from Doug. He's given you
a few good questions in the past, and this is
what he has to say abou voter id Gene. I
believe the biggest reason the Democratic Party is always going
to resist voter id is because they depend heavily on
voting harvesting. They want the ability to harvest nursing home,
prison school, homeless shelters under the disguise of we're just
here to help. This is the greater This is the

(19:12):
greatest voter frog that goes unchecked, absolutely and I agree
with that. So agree with that caller right there.

Speaker 1 (19:20):
Love it.

Speaker 6 (19:21):
Thank you for the email, Doug. You can reach us
too at comment at kfab dot com. Let's get to
one more phone call. We got John on the line,
John your Live with Jean's author here on news radio
eleven to ten KFAB.

Speaker 5 (19:32):
Mayor. I like to differ with you and the Senator
on I think the misinformation that you guys be putting
out about what Democrats believe and what Democrats don't believe.
I have no problem and I'm a two Democrat and
I want to just say one thing. I did vote
for you when your first term because I like what
you were saying, just like you just got through saying

(19:54):
about the doctor. If you don't come up with something
that's realistic to try to get people into this country,
which we need them, and you know it, I know
it and recognore it. But to keep using these people,
all the people that maybe not be legit as y'all
would call it. We need to get them on the

(20:14):
road some kind of way. And I don't know why
no one is trying to put forth a path for
that and work on that. And one other thing here.
I don't care about the idea. I show my driver
license every day, but that's not the thing. You know
it and recognore it. They are talking about birth certificate

(20:35):
that not only the birth of it. They're talking about passport,
all of these kind of things. And then you and
being a married woman, you can have a name change.
It's a lot more to it. And I wish you
guys would put all the information out there other than
dropping these little Republican talking point to try to make
someone stay on Donald Trump's side, which I totally disagree with.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
Let me ask you a question. Do you believe then
in open borders? Do you believe that anybody should be
able to come into the country that wants to legal
or not? Do you support that?

Speaker 5 (21:11):
I have never said anything like that. I don't think
any Democrats say anything.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
I'm just asking the questions.

Speaker 5 (21:17):
Yeah, that's a question. But only thing that I'm saying
about that is this anybody who is leaving an oppressed
government and trying to get into this country, and if
they can pull that, then they should go through a
system like we already have said. Up. I agree, that's
the way it should be.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
I agree because you know, there is a lot of
people in this United States that have immigrated from other
countries on all of our coast that went through the
proper process. They don't like the idea of people just
being able to come in here illegally and be able
to do things like vote. They don't agree with it either.

Speaker 5 (21:54):
But ma'aw, here's what I'm saying to you, though, you
have to change the system because the way the Constitution reads,
any one reaches American soul can ask for asylum.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
You know that for a period of time.

Speaker 5 (22:08):
Well I know that, But you have to then increase
the judgeship that would look at those cases. And I
know it's a back law, but that's not those people's fault.
But vote as America.

Speaker 1 (22:20):
Do you think they should be able to vote? Do
you think illegal should be all?

Speaker 5 (22:24):
That's see, that's that's water under the bridge. Now. I
don't think no one that's not legal here should be
able to vote. I don't have a problem with ID,
but you just have two miny. Donald Trump has put
two many caveats on top of that ID that thirty
six states in the United States right now that you
have to have an ID to vote. A picture I

(22:44):
d so we got. Now he want to give a
birth certificate, all this stuff here to prove that you're officien. Look, man,
this man married someone from out of the country. Have
everybody any check to see if she was legal? How
did she give you? What did she do? Well?

Speaker 1 (23:00):
You know what, I appreciate. I appreciate your Colin. I
appreciate your passion, I really do. And I thank you
for calling today. I know, and that's why we're here.
I mean, we want to hear what you have to
say about these issues. That's why I had Senator Ricketts
on too. I want to know what do you agree?
Do you disagree? And it's fine to disagree with me too,
But so thank you for Colin. But I wanted to

(23:22):
bring up, just for a second, when I said mentioned
DACA before, explain what it is in case you don't remember,
But DACA stance or DACA for Deferred Action for childhood arrivals,
and this is a US immigration policy, and it allows
some individuals who were physically present in the United States
with no lawful immigration status after entered the country as

(23:46):
children and after at least five years to receive a
renewable two year period of deferred action for deportation. That's
what DACA is. And they could be eligible for employment
with an authorized document, and they could be eligible to
go to school. And so I'm saying that they have
received this renewable deferred action from deportation. And my point was,

(24:12):
if they are here and they are working, are they're
here in going to school, why not allow them to
have a driver's license while they are here under that status? Peyton,
were you listening to that crazy Scott Vorhees earlier this
morning when he was talking like he was on public
radio NPR. Scott wasn't here this morning, vot spore, he's

(24:33):
here and juicy, that was so funny. I was listening
to him driving in here today and it was hilarious.
But before we take our next calls, we're going to
the moon. I think that's so exciting. You know, I
used to live I moved here to Omaha from Texas.
I think people don't know that because they think I

(24:55):
moved here from Saint Louis, But I had lived down
in Texas Galveston, which is an island in the Gulf,
for nine years. But I took my kids to the
Johnson Space Center it was called then NASA numerous times.
In fact, that's where my son, he was really little,
discovered dippin' dots. You know what dippin' dots are? I
know he loves dippin' dots to this day. But anyway,

(25:16):
we're going to the Moon tonight, hopefully if weather holes out.
It looks like the weather is good down at NASA.
Artemis two is set to go around the Moon, and
I think this is so exciting. You know, the last
time we had a lunar spaceflight was in nineteen seventy two. Now, Peyton,
that is the year. Wait to hear this, I graduated

(25:38):
from high school. You were not born, your parents were
probably not born, just about I know it. But nineteen
seventy two is the last time that we had they
had high school. Yeah, yeah, they did, ha ha, Yes,
that little schoolhouse that I went to. But it's the
was the deepest human spaceflight it will be since the

(25:59):
fine Apollo lunar landing in nineteen seventy two. So it's
the ship is going to go up. It's going up
with a crew of four, and they're not going to
orbit the Moon. They're just going to take a loop
around the Moon. And they're testing out a lot of
issues and things that are on that ship, from the

(26:20):
ship itself to just doing a lot of different tests
while they're up there. And it's really I think the
astronauts are going to evaluate how Orion will fly, they're
going to practice emergency procedures, they're going to capture images
of the far side of the Moon. I just think
it's really exciting. It's a ten day trip and they

(26:41):
should be launching off sometime this evening six o'clock Eastern time.

Speaker 6 (26:46):
Yeah, we were looking about into it a little bit yesterday.
Five point twenty four is when it opens, and it's
about two hour window, but we had sorry we Chris
Baker had our very own Nebraska astronaut Layton Anderson on
the show last week to talk about this and heat
and this is on Chris Baker's podcast page. A trip

(27:07):
around the Moon very interesting. He talks all about it.
He's a very very cool guy.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
He was on the space station. He is, but we're
going to.

Speaker 6 (27:14):
Have that pulled up this afternoon. We might see if
we can catch it live. It depends though we may
you know, it might not happen.

Speaker 1 (27:20):
And just think about this when it returns to the
Earth's atmosphere. Listen to this. This is amazing. Orion is
going to be flying at twenty five thousand miles an
hour and it will reach temperatures of at least five
thousand degrees. Isn't that just amazing? It's just amazing. And

(27:40):
they said early this or I was listening to the
news early this morning and they said the astronauts weren't
going to get up till about nine o'clock. And I thought, man,
if I was one of those astronauts, I would have
a hard time sleep last night. Oh yeah. And then
they said they will have breakfast, and I'm thinking, I
don't know how much breakfast I would eat if I
was going to be launched up into and with a
rocket up into space. But good luck to them. I

(28:03):
think it's a fly to many first, and I think
everybody will be tuned in to see the incredible pictures
are going to be sending that.

Speaker 6 (28:10):
I'm looking forward to it, and we will definitely keep
you updated here on Omaha's news, weather and traffic station,
News Radio eleven ten KFAB. Let's jump to the phone lines.
We got Brett on the phone line. You're talking to
Gene st Author here on news radio eleven tent kfab.

Speaker 8 (28:24):
Good morning, Good morning, Gene. How's it going?

Speaker 1 (28:27):
Really good? Thank you.

Speaker 8 (28:30):
So I just want to push back on Senator Ricketts.
I'm a staunch conservative, and there's three bullet points I
want to make, and so the first is about to
say act they could have passed it. There were mechanisms
they could have done. It's obviously an overwhelming issue that
most Americans will agree on. So I'm disappointed in that.

Speaker 1 (28:54):
I am just to add I am too. I am too.
That's why I ask it. I don't understand why that
bill can't be passed, Why the Senate won't pass that bill.

Speaker 8 (29:04):
Yeah, exactly to the previous callers point. Not to disparage
that gentleman, but I think he should look up some
history about the party that he supports, especially in regard
to immigration. You can go back to the late sixties
Walter Mondale, who would eventually be the Democrat nominee for
president and Walter excuse me, Ralph Abernathy, who was mlk's

(29:29):
right hand man. Those two gentlemen went to the southern
border in the late sixties to protest illegal immigrations. So
the party has changed his position. I would just encourage
him to do some research about what he's talking about.
And then the second bullet points real quick Hr. Seven
to one four seven, which was the Homeland Security Bill

(29:52):
for continuing appropriations that the Senate kind of skipped town on.
You know, it was passed at three o'clock in the morning.
Nobody was there to vote, and no Republican senator opposed it.
There were four or five of them who showed up.
I don't think Senator Ricketts or Senator Fisher was one
of them. And basically they discount out and said, okay,

(30:15):
well we'll fund TSA, but we're gonna, we're gonna, we're
gonna take some money from home, from ICE and from
CBP to do so. And I think that's just there's
no explanation, there's no statements from any of their offices.
And then the last thing, which is most important to
me because I have a step daughter, I have a

(30:37):
fourteen year old son, and everybody talks about affordability. The
Congressional Budget Office came out their annual or semi quarterly
report in February shows that our deficit in Washington's going
to go from one point nine trillion to three point

(30:58):
one trillion by twenty thirty six, and our cumulative deficit
we're going to run and add up another twenty three
to twenty four trillion dollars in debt over the next decade.
Medicare is going to they say, is going to be insolvent.
I mean, my feeling is it's insolvent already. The same
thing for Social Security. And I don't hear any conservative

(31:21):
who claims to be fiscally responsible talk about any of
these things, and so it's very, very disappointing. My opinion
at this point is they're comfortable being in the minority.
They can't lead. I think Leader Thuon is not good.
When I called Senator Fisher's office to see who and

(31:43):
Ricketts who they're going to support, it wasn't Scott, it
wasn't Thune. They couldn't say. But they can't lead. They
can't pass bills that matter to informed citizens, and they
can't see the mass dislocation with debt that's coming. So
I appreciate you letting me making those points, and I
hope you have a good Easter weekend.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
Well, thank you. Happy Easter to you too. And I
you know, a lot of what you said, the bullet
points you said, I agree with if Senator Ricketts was
limited on his time he had with us today. But
I had my little list of questions I was gonna address,
and one of them was to ask him about why
that DHS is not being funded. I mean, I don't

(32:24):
understand it either. Homeland Security. Why why the Democrats have
been blocking and they have so you know, this to
me is another thing that is mind boggling, because ICE
is now being not ice, but TSA is now being
paid the travel I was going to ask him about
that too, Senator Ricketts, but it seems like a lot

(32:44):
of that with the long waits has been resolved, but
still DHS is still not funded and why is that
being blocked? I don't understand that at all either. Your
point about the US government the deficit, it is mind boggling.
I mean to go up to when you talk about trillions,
it's just it's hard to fathom really, the Mayor of

(33:08):
Omaha is responsible for the City of Omaha's budget, and
I did twelve budgets, and the mayor is responsible for
not only doing the budget and getting it approved, but
also for managing it throughout the year. And we are
not allowed to go into a deficit. We have to
have that budget balance to the penny, and it is
balanced to the penny January first, and it has to

(33:29):
be balanced to the penny December thirty first. We can't
let it go into a deficit. And how the US
government can continue doing that and threatening programs like Social
Security and Medicare is beyond me. And we need to
talk to our US senators and our congressman more about
that and say, explain to us what is happening and

(33:52):
what can government do to make us solvent again? And
is it ever possible?

Speaker 6 (33:58):
Gene, you always got an Omaha World Here edition right
in front of in the mornings.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
I do.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
I read it, you know, I tell you, I read
it every morning, and then I get mad, but then
I read it again. I read the Wall Street Journal
in the World Herald every day just to keep up
with what's going on. Front page today it says headline
city investigated sinkhole site months before the collapse. That's the
one at sixty seventh in Pacific that two cars were
just bam. I mean, that video is amazing to watch.

(34:24):
They just disappeared and it's kind of interesting to watch
that and you see the two cars right behind them
and they just slowly back up like I'm getting out
of here. But you know, I just want to say,
as a former mayor of Omaha for twelve years, there
are crack streets everywhere in Omaha. We have over five
thousand lane miles a road in Omaha, and the city

(34:47):
Public Works Department does a fantastic job and they're always
looking at areas where there are cracks. They are always
looking at areas that we have. Like I said, some
places in Omaha have sewer lines that are one hundred,
one hundred and twenty years old that have been there
for a long time and need replacing. Mud When I
was mayor, told us that their plan was to replace

(35:10):
one percent per year, So we're talking one hundred years
to replace all of these old sewer lines. Water lines
that can do these types of things. But let me
tell you one thing, I will never criticize the mayor
of Omaha for a sinkhole or a pothole, because these

(35:32):
are things that are totally out of the mayor's control.
These things are happening underground and there's public works could
even put cameras down an old sewer lines to see
if they are still competent or if they're leaking, But
you gotta know where they're at, and you got to
know where the problem is. We just had a water
main break not long ago in the city of Omaha,

(35:53):
and you couldn't believe how high the water was flairing.
But you're not going to ever catch me or hear
me size the mayor or the mayor's administration for these
sinkholes or potholes. These are things that just happen, and
the mayor's responsibility is to take care of them and
make sure that you know, we have a good public
works department, which we do enough employees that are going
to be able to take care of these things.

Speaker 6 (36:15):
Greg sent us an email it to comment at kfab
dot com. Interesting fact that puts things in perspective. One
trillion one dollar bills placed end to end would reach
further than from the Earth to the sun. I don't
know if that's true, Greg, I'm gonna take your word
for it.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
Fun fact, I did not know that that's a long distance.
That's a long distance, Thank you, Greg. Can you imagine
being in in that spaceship going up towards the Moon?
I mean, the Moon on a clear night looks so
close you can grab it, but it's not.

Speaker 6 (36:49):
Would you want to do it? Like if they said, Okay,
we're gonna let you go. You don't have to do anything.
You're just another passenger. You're just a joy ride for you.

Speaker 5 (36:55):
You know.

Speaker 1 (36:55):
I think it would be pretty scary to do something
like that, I really do. I mean, I'd have to
stop and think about that. But at the same time,
what an opportunity. How many human beings all over the
planet get the chance to go up and to loop
around the Moon? It would be if somebody offered it
to me, it would be hard for me to turn

(37:16):
it down.

Speaker 6 (37:17):
Yeah, I think you're right. It would take a really
long thought out decision. Absolutely, I would consider it.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
What an opportunity and ask somebody like Clayton Anderson that's
actually been up in space for an extended period of time. Boy,
I'm telling you that is something Like I said, not
too many human beings get to.

Speaker 6 (37:35):
Do all right, Mike, thank you for your patience on
the KFABE comment line with Jean stauth.

Speaker 7 (37:41):
Hey, thanks for having me. I want to make several
quick points. I want to say kudos to the last guy.
That's one reason I'm an independent now, because nobody talks
about the deficit, and that is what I fear will
take us down. I think that the biggest problem with
our country is both parties think they're parties as pure
as the driven snow, and the other party is evil

(38:03):
and doesn't like America. They hate America, and that's that's
the problem. The other party is evil. I want to
talk about mister Ricketts. You know, I feel like he
is a part of the problem in that. You know,
if Trump said the sunrises in the north, he'd say yes, yes,
dear Leader. As far as like it's easy to say

(38:27):
about Iran, Oh boy, we need to go over there.
I don't know what the whole story is, but I
have some empirical evidence. You know, the person that was
was and I do not remember his title, quit in
protests that we invaded Iran. His comments were there was
nothing imminent. I have a friend who is twenty years

(38:47):
on the ground, boots on the ground and intelligence. He
was responsible for taking out some warlords and Somaia. He
was actually in Iran, which I was stupidly didn't think
we had people in Iran ten and fifteen years ago.
He voted for Trump twice, but he said Trump had
no plan going in there. He said it was a mistake.

(39:08):
He told me after three days troops were on the way.
I said, how did you know that? And he just smiled.
A week later they announced that there was troops on
the ground. He said, we are creating more terrorists then
we're than we're taken care of. And he said Iran
will just be more inclined to be very determined to
get a nuclear weapon. They're not gonna let this happen

(39:30):
to him again. So you know, we all just you know, well,
he says that. And to make my point, I mean,
Trump said Iran wants me to be their leader. Oh
my god, we I mean, I couldn't stop laughing when
I heard that. But nobody calls him out on it.
If Trump says it, we just believe it. And if
I get asked, I'm just curious your thoughts on this.

(39:50):
I believe, you know, no, no big problem as a
black and white answer. But I think if we want
to solve no one is for open borders. I just
don't believe anyone that's for open borders. I've never talked
to anybody, even people that you know are pro undocumented workers.
But why do we not punish the companies that are

(40:13):
employing them. I used to live up by South Sioux
City and they had the biggest meetbacking plant in the world.
And I never believe this was true, but I knew
several people that were in management at IVP, and they
kept telling me. And finally I believe that IVP would
ticked buses down to the border and haul workers back
up there and they'd give them fake IDs. They know

(40:37):
this is going on. They know the companies if they
find companies or employing undocumented workers and they can't get
jobs into problem.

Speaker 1 (40:47):
Thank you, Mike, we appreciate the call you got. About
sixty seconds. I agree with you. And you know, if
you look at at companies that are in agriculture, you
know a California, the wine countries, how many people that
they bring in and employ and the employers have to
be held accountable to I agree with that. I will
say I agree with what you're saying though about political parties,

(41:09):
that the one party thinks the other is just innately evil.
Because when I became mayor, everybody knows I am a Republican,
I'm a conservative, and I was a Republican in the
Blue Dot. But I said I will be the mayor
for everybody, including if you're Democrat, independent, if you're black,
if you're white, if you're brown. I did, if your male,
if you're female, And I got criticized from the far

(41:30):
right for saying I will represent Democrats too, And I
said I will be the mayor for everybody. I meant it.
And you know that's a problem that we have. Immigration
is a federal issue, and I think I agree. I
think both parties have not done what they could to
control the immigration issue. I think we are unfortunately out

(41:51):
of time. I hear that music plan, so I think
that means wrap it up, Jean. But I want to
thank everybody for listening today, thanks for being with us,
and thank you for your comments. I really want to
get people that agree or disagree with our guests and
what I'm saying too. Tomorrow. I have a great guest
on again. I hope you listen because it's going to
stimulate I know, a lot of questions. And Governor Jim

(42:14):
Pillen will be with us tomorrow morning, and we're going
to talk a lot about the state budget, and we're
going to talk about a lot of issues that the
legislature is still debating. So our forty first governor of
the State of Rascal will be with us tomorrow morning.
Please listen.