[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 5 (Monday, January 12, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NEBRASKA'S INDEPENDENT TRADITION OF GOVERNING

  (Mr. ASHFORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Nebraska's 
independent tradition of governing. In Nebraska, we do things a little 
differently. We have the only nonpartisan unicameral legislature in the 
Nation, a body that I proudly served in for 16 years, as did my good 
friends Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Adrian Smith.
  In Lincoln, legislators are not bound by political parties but by the 
needs of their constituents; rather than provide partisan sound bites, 
members of the unicameral provide solutions forged through compromise 
and collaboration.
  We need more of this tradition in Washington, and I hope to bring 
Nebraska common sense to this body. We need to find more ways to come 
together and solve our Nation's problems. The American people do not 
want dogged partisanship. They want us to work together to get real 
results that help make their everyday lives better.
  I have pledged to be an independent, pragmatic voice for my 
constituents to responsibly tackle the difficult issues facing our 
country and to do so in a bipartisan manner. I hope that my colleagues 
will follow Nebraska's example.

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