<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Governor Jim Pillen appointed the state&#8217;s former Republican Governor Pete Ricketts as the Cornhusker State&#8217;s next senator on Thursday, replacing Ben Sasse, who officially resigned early this week.
Ricketts served two terms as the state&#8217;s top official from 2015 until last week when his successor moved into the governor&#8217;s mansion.
Governor Pillen personally chose Ricketts to fill the vacated Senate seat, saying he took the process to replace Sasse &#8220;incredibly seriously&#8221; because the appointee needs to &#8220;represent the people&#8221; of Nebraska, NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/nebraska-gov-pillen-appoints-former-gov-pete-ricketts-ben-sasses-senat-rcna65482" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Pillen said the next senator must reflect &#8220;values and ideology important to Nebraskans,” believe in &#8220;less government and fiscal accountability,&#8221; and be a &#8220;person of incredible faith, God-fearing like almost all Nebraskans.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s clear the person for the job was Sen.-designate Pete Ricketts,&#8221; he said.
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/us/politics/pete-ricketts-nebraska-senator.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>, Ricketts said during a news conference after Pillen appointed him that the Senate has to &#8220;hold Washington, D.C., accountable for the waste and the fraud,&#8221; adding that government needs to run more like a business &#8220;just like we&#8217;ve done here in Nebraska.&#8221;
&#8220;For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values?&#8221; Ricketts said in a news release, NBC reported. &#8220;In Congress, we&#8217;re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it&#8217;s a fight we have to win.&#8221;
Ricketts comes from a family heavily invested in Nebraska politics. His father, Joe Ricketts, the founder and former chief executive of the financial services company TD Ameritrade, donated to Republican candidates nationwide.
Ricketts spent approximately $1.3 million in the Republican primary for governor last year, helping Pillen defeat a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump. His appointment comes days after former U.S. Sen. Sasse officially resigned from his seat, having accepting a position to become president of the University of Florida, where he will reportedly earn a salary of $1 million.
The Republican politician delivered his farewell address from the Senate floor last week, saying that he never planned on spending a lifetime in Washington after eight years of public service.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not what our founders envisioned for the people they would send to the federal city,&#8221; Sasse <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-senator-ben-sasse-officially-leaves-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;They envisioned, rather, congressmen, senators, and presidents who thought of D.C. as a temporary stay.&#8221;
&#8220;Washington is a place to do a good bit of neighbor-loving work, but then to go back home to the more permanent work of life and flesh and blood whole communities,&#8221; he added.
Ricketts will fill the seat until 2024, when a special election is held for the remainder of Sasse&#8217;s term, which would have ended in 2026.

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Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts Fills Empty Senate Seat Vacated By Ben Sasse

Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts Appointed State's Next Senator, Replacing Ben Sasse

Ben Sasse

Congress

Nebraska

Politics

Republican Party

U.S. Senate

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) officially resigned from the Senate on Sunday after reports broke last year that the congressman would pursue higher education opportunities.
Sasse, who has served as senator for Nebraska since 2015, resigned after accepting a position to become president of the University of Florida, where he will <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/3804549-sasse-officially-leaves-senate/">reportedly</a> earn a salary of $1 million.
The Republican politician delivered his farewell address from the Senate floor last week, saying that he never planned on spending a lifetime in Washington after eight years of public service.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not what our founders envisioned for the people they would send to the federal city,&#8221; Sasse <a href="https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1CC36A1D-A7C7-4FB8-A33C-390DECF8A0A1">said</a>. &#8220;They envisioned, rather, congressmen, senators, and presidents who thought of D.C. as a temporary stay.&#8221;
&#8220;Washington is a place to do a good bit of neighbor-loving work, but then to go back home to the more permanent work of life and flesh and blood whole communities,&#8221; he added.
Sasse voted with six other Republican senators to convict former President Donald Trump after the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Trump called the Nebraska senator &#8220;Little Ben Sasse&#8221; at a May rally in the congressman&#8217;s home state, adding Sasse became a &#8220;grandstanding, little-respected senator.&#8221;
During his farewell speech, Sasse acknowledged that his relationship with Nebraskans had some &#8220;marked ups and downs&#8221; over the last eight years, making him &#8220;the most censured public official in the history of Nebraska.&#8221;
&#8220;Many times, it felt like a noogie and a slap and a head butt and a hug all at once,&#8221; he said.
Shortly after news broke of Sasse&#8217;s forthcoming retirement, the senator revealed that he would become the next president at the University of Florida.
The university said in a statement that it had spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school&#8217;s 15-member presidential search committee &#8220;unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist.&#8221;
Former Nebraska Republican Governor Pete Ricketts announced last month he intends to seek his successor&#8217;s appointment to become the state&#8217;s next U.S. senator to replace Sasse.
&#8220;For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values?&#8221; Ricketts said in a statement via The Hill. &#8220;In Congress, we&#8217;re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it&#8217;s a fight we have to win. We must cut taxes, strengthen public safety and our national security, and protect our most sacred freedoms.&#8221;
&#8220;Over the last eight years, we&#8217;ve shown the world the real impact conservative leadership can have,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to continue delivering results for our state, fighting to reduce taxes, grow our economy, defend our liberties, and run government more like a business. I&#8217;ll never stop working to get the job done, and that&#8217;s why I&#8217;m asking for Governor-elect [Jim] Pillen&#8217;s consideration.&#8221;
Sasse, who won a second term in 2020, would have had to run for re-election again in 2026.

Senate Judiciary Committee Hears Testimony From Attorney General Nominee Merrick Garland

Republican Senator Ben Sasse Officially Leaves U.S. Senate

Senator Ben Sasse Officially Retires From U.S. Senate 

President Trump

University of Florida

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Governor Pete Ricketts announced he is seeking to fill the seat left by outgoing Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-sasse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Sasse</a> (R-NE).
In an announcement Tuesday, Ricketts said he would seek the office after Sasse left to become the next president of the University of Florida. Ricketts was term-limited as governor and will be replaced by Governor-elect Jim Pillen. Pillen, who will be sworn in on January 5, previously stated he is accepting applications for individuals to fill the seat until a special election is held in 2024.
“For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values?&#8221; Ricketts said in a statement, via <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3763647-nebraska-governor-running-for-sasses-senate-seat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>. &#8220;In Congress, we’re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it’s a fight we have to win. We must cut taxes, strengthen public safety and our national security, and protect our most sacred freedoms.”
“Over the last eight years, we’ve shown the world the real impact conservative leadership can have,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to continue delivering results for our state, fighting to reduce taxes, grow our economy, defend our liberties, and run government more like a business. I’ll never stop working to get the job done, and that’s why I’m asking for Governor-elect Pillen’s consideration.&#8221;
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Pillen announced on Monday that he was accepting applications to fill Sasse&#8217;s seat. Applications must be submitted by December 23, <a href="https://www.wowt.com/2022/12/05/pillen-taking-applications-sen-sasse-seat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WOWT</a> reported. A special election to fill the remainder of Sasse&#8217;s term will be held in 2024.
In a letter to Ricketts on Monday, Sasse, who was just re-elected in 2020, confirmed that his resignation will take effect on January 8. &#8220;It has been a great honor to serve the people of Nebraska in the U.S. Senate these last eight years,&#8221; Sasse wrote. &#8220;I am confident that Governor-Elect Pillen will appoint someone who will serve Nebraskans well in Washington.&#8221;
Sasse originally announced his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-gop-senator-ben-sasse-to-be-next-president-of-the-university-of-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resignation</a> from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> in October, in order to become the next president of the University of Florida.
“The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,” Sasse said in a statement at the time. “The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work and so it’s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.”
Sasse said that he has been courted by top universities over the last couple of years, but that he and his wife had resisted attempts to lure him out of the Senate.
Sasse said this time was different though because he views the University of Florida as “the most interesting university in America right now.”
“Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we’ve resisted being named a finalist,” Sasse said. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.”
The University of Florida said in a statement that they spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school’s 15-member presidential search committee “unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to become the University of Florida’s 13th president.”
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

Outgoing Nebraska Governor Ricketts Looking To Fill Ben Sasse’s Senate Seat

Outgoing Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts Looking To Fill Ben Sasse's Senate Seat

2024 Election

Republican

Senate

U.S. Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-sasse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Sasse</a> (R-NE) will become the next president at the University of Florida, the senator and the university announced in separate statements Thursday afternoon.
The news came just minutes after a NewsRadio 1110 KFAB’s Ian Swanson, a former staffer for Sasse, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-republican-senator-ben-sasse-to-resign-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke the news</a> that Sasse was going to retire from the U.S. Senate.
&#8220;The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,&#8221; Sasse said in a statement. &#8220;The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work and so it&#8217;s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.&#8221;
Sasse said that he has been courted by top universities over the last couple of years, but that he and his wife had resisted attempts to lure him out of the Senate.
Sasse said this time was different though because he views the University of Florida as &#8220;the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
&#8220;Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we&#8217;ve resisted being named a finalist,” Sasse said. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
The University of Florida said in a statement that they spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school&#8217;s 15-member presidential search committee &#8220;unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to become the University of Florida&#8217;s 13th president.&#8221;
&#8220;Dr. Sasse currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska and is a former college president, highly accomplished scholar and nationally recognized authority on higher education,&#8221; the school said.

Florida Gators

GOP Senator Ben Sasse To Be Next President Of The University Of Florida

Florida

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) is reportedly going to resign from his position to pursue a new opportunity outside of elected office.
NewsRadio 1110 KFAB’s Ian Swanson, a former staffer for Sasse, broke the news, saying that Sasse was going to pursue an opportunity in higher education, adding that the resignation was not expected to happen immediately.
&#8220;[Senator Sasse] will imminently announce his intent to resign from the U.S. Senate to pursue another opportunity in higher education,&#8221; Swanson wrote on Twitter. &#8220;While the process could take a bit, the announcements are expected &#8216;imminently.'&#8221;
&#8220;I want to be clear here: this is a process that will take time, so the resignation will not take effect today,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The process will be announced today, and I am told to expect the resignation to actually be made official in December.&#8221;
Aaron Sanderford, a reporter with the Nebraska Examiner, reported that if Sasse does indeed resign that his seat would be filled by gubernatorial appointment.
&#8220;His replacement would serve from now until early 2025,&#8221; Sanderson said. &#8220;That would mean Nebraska could have both Senate seats up in the same presidential election year, 2024.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If Sasse&#39;s staff confirms a resignation, his spot would have to be filled by gubernatorial appointment. His replacement would serve from now until early 2025. That would mean Nebraska could have both Senate seats up in the same presidential election year, 2024.
&mdash; Aaron Sanderford (@asanderford) <a href="https://twitter.com/asanderford/status/1578106930630840320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Shortly after the news broke of Sasse&#8217;s forthcoming retirement, the senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-gop-senator-ben-sasse-to-be-next-president-of-the-university-of-florida">revealed</a> that he will become the next president at the University of Florida.
&#8220;The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,&#8221; Sasse said in a statement. &#8220;The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work and so it&#8217;s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.&#8221;
Sasse said that he has been courted by top universities over the last couple of years, but that he and his wife had resisted attempts to lure him out of the Senate.
Sasse said this time was different though because he views the University of Florida as &#8220;the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
&#8220;Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we&#8217;ve resisted being named a finalist,” Sasse said. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.&#8221;
The University of Florida said in a statement that they spent months carefully vetting hundreds of applicants for the role and that the school&#8217;s 15-member presidential search committee &#8220;unanimously recommended United States Senator Dr. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to become the University of Florida&#8217;s 13th president.&#8221;
&#8220;Dr. Sasse currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska and is a former college president, highly accomplished scholar and nationally recognized authority on higher education,&#8221; the school said.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse To Resign, Report Says

Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse tore into President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration Thursday evening for failing to condemn the targeting of Supreme Court justices.
“President Biden has an obligation to forcefully condemn the left’s harassment of the Supreme Court,&#8221; Sasse said in a statement. &#8220;Progressive activists published the home addresses of Supreme Court Justices and the White House dismissed it as ‘a lot of passion.’ That doesn’t cut it.&#8221;
&#8220;Don’t pretend this is an isolated incident,&#8221; he warned. &#8220;Two years ago, Chuck Schumer stood on the Supreme Court steps and spat threats at Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. For months progressive partisans have worked to delegitimize the Court, and now activists are doxxing the Justices’ homes.&#8221;
&#8220;This isn’t how adults act,&#8221; Sasse said. &#8220;This isn’t how American self-government works. President Biden knows this is dangerous and he ought to have the guts to say it.”
On Thursday afternoon, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki if Biden condones the publishing of the Supreme Court justices locations.
&#8220;Is that the sort of thing this president wants?&#8221; he asked.
&#8220;I think the president&#8217;s view is that there is a lot of passion,&#8221; she responded. The White House has not responded to further requests for comment from The Daily Wire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Doocy: &quot;These activists posted a map with the home addresses of the Supreme Court justices. Is that the sort of thing this President wants?&quot;
Psaki: &quot;I think the President&#39;s view is that there is a lot of passion.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/Aey03wwvGI">pic.twitter.com/Aey03wwvGI</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyWireNews/status/1522355464385843202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The senator&#8217;s comments come amid <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-groups-direct-protestors-to-descend-upon-supreme-court-justices-homes">calls from leftist organizations</a> for abortion supporters to demonstrate at the homes of the conservative Supreme Court justices. One of these groups, Ruth Sent Us, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/catholic-vote-calls-on-devout-catholic-biden-to-condemn-threats-to-disrupt-catholic-masses">calling for protestors</a> to “stand at or in a local Catholic Church” on Sunday, Mother’s Day.
Ruth Sent Us additionally announced “walk-by Wednesday,” urging protestors to come to “the homes of the six extremist justices, three in Virginia and three in Maryland” on May 11, and ShutDownDC is advertising a Saturday evening “Candlelight Vigil for Roe v. Wade,” calling for abortion supporters to “join us in a march to Justices Kavanaugh and Roberts’ homes to protest for reproductive freedom!!”
The protestors are reacting to a leaked draft opinion showing that the court is likely preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade. Protests also took place outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-03/downtown-los-angeles-roe-wade-protest">Los Angeles</a> (where protestors violently clashed with police) and in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/nyregion/abortion-protest-new-york-supreme-court.html">New York City</a>.
In a Tuesday editorial, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board expressed concerns that an “abortion fanatic” might “commit an act of violence” in an effort to subvert the court’s expected decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“One question is how fast the Court should now move to publish its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-supreme-court-leak-on-roe-v-wade-samuel-alito-john-roberts-abortion-draft-opinion-11651605792">the board said</a>. “There’s an argument for getting it out fast to make it a fait accompli.”
“Politico said the Alito draft was circulated in February, so the Justices have had ample time to absorb it and respond,” it continued. “We hate to say this, but some abortion fanatic could decide to commit an act of violence to stop a 5-4 ruling. It’s an awful thought, but we live in fanatical times.”

Screen Shot 2022-05-05 at 10.51.21 PM

‘That Doesn’t Cut It’: Ben Sasse Tears Into Biden For Failing To Condemn Doxxing, ‘Harassment Of The Supreme Court’

Ben Sasse Calls On Biden To Condemn Doxxing Of Supreme Court Justices 

Abortion

Jen Psaki

Joe Biden

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Supreme Court

On Friday morning, Nebraska GOP Senator Ben Sasse stated of Ukraine that the U.S. should “be arming them to the teeth,” and that the United States should provide “tactical, actionable intelligence,” so they can kill “Russian invaders.”
Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Sasse asserted:
<blockquote>First of all, the intelligence community did a good job of getting intel out faster than they usually do to help deny Putin the pretextual cover for what he was going to do. &#8230; Ukraine isn’t a threat to Russia. Putin is a liar. He lies all the time. But he usually gets away with it. And the U.S. intelligence agencies helped thwart it this time. We need to keep that up and we need to get tactical, actionable intelligence to the Ukrainians on the ground so they can kill the Russian invaders.</blockquote>
“We need to be arming them to the teeth,” Sasse continued, as <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/sasse-russia-ukraine-sanctions/2022/02/25/id/1058496/">Newsmax</a> reported. “So, President Biden should be coming to the Congress right now asking for an emergency supplemental for defense spending. We’re not going to put boots on the ground in Ukraine. We shouldn’t. We don’t need to. They [the Ukrainians] are willing to fight. But we need to arm them.”
“We need to do more sanctions,” Sasse posited. “We need to do them faster. But fundamentally we need to have targeted sanctions to the 16 oligarchs – the mobster cronies who have enabled Putin’s madness.”
Sasse continued with advice for Western Europe, adding that Germany&#8217;s efforts needed to be ramped on energy sanctions.
<blockquote>There should be no Nord Stream 2 ever. But frankly, we need the Brits, who have been great allies in general. We need them to step up and acknowledge that there is a ton of Russian billionaire money bouncing all over London. We ought to perp walk those people out of the country. Their kids ought to be kicked out of their schools that they’re in in London. They should go back and live in Moscow’s hell holes with Putin.</blockquote>
Sasse has been a constant fierce opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin for years. In March 2018, Sasse <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ben-sasse-blisters-putins-sham-reelection-and-hank-berrien/">blasted</a> Putin after his sham reelection. He said:
<blockquote>Vladimir Putin is not a friend. Vladimir Putin is a despot. &#8230; This very day, there are dissidents all over the globe struggling against totalitarian regimes in darkness, and to them, America has always said and America still says we see you, we stand with you. We may make long and deliberate decisions about how we engage in the world and about what particular commitments are prudent to exercise at different times with different allies, but we have always spoke unequivocally about the universal dignity of 7.6 billion people. To those who struggle, we have always said we see you, and we stand with you.
Each and every member of this Senate, all 100 of us, was elected in the kind of free and fair election that Vladimir Putin fears, the kind of election that he would not win. Vladimir Putin is a coward. Vladimir Putin is a despot. Just this month, Vladimir Putin tried to assassinate a political dissident and his daughter on NATO soil in the U.K. &#8230; We also condemn Vladimir Putin&#8217;s sham election. We condemn a Russian despot that aims to make Soviet tyranny great again.</blockquote>

Senate Finance Committee Considers Xavier Becerra For HHS Secretary

Ben Sasse On Ukraine: ‘We Need To Be Arming Them To The Teeth’

Ukraine

Following the verdict in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) did not mince words when stating what he wants to see happen next.
“This verdict shouldn’t be the end,” Sasse said in a brief <a href="https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2021/12/sasse-on-maxwell-verdict-justice-must-be-done">press release</a> after a jury found Maxwell guilty on Wednesday. “The DOJ needs to go after every single scumbag who committed crimes with Maxwell and Epstein.” 
Maxwell was found guilty on five of six counts on Wednesday, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epsteins-former-girlfriend-found-guilty-in-sex-abuse-trial">reported</a>. Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend was convicted of “conspiracy to entice individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in &#8216;illegal sexual activity,&#8217; conspiracy to transport individuals under 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in &#8216;illegal sexual activity, transportation of an individual under 17 with intent to engage in &#8216;illegal sexual activity,&#8217; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under 18, and sex trafficking of an individual under 18.”
She will be sentenced at a later date and will face another trial for two perjury charges. 
Sasse, a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, has regularly called on the DOJ to do its job in regard to investigating Epstein. He constantly pressed the DOJ to look into its “<a href="https://www.axios.com/ben-sasse-jeffrey-epstein-sexual-assault-justice-department-a3ae5528-e285-4dd1-bd12-48a8df3c924b.html">sweetheart deal</a>” with Epstein, and in February 2019, the DOJ opened an investigation into its handling of the convicted pedophile. 
In November 2020, Sasse said in a statement, “Letting a well-connected billionaire get away with child rape and international sex trafficking isn’t ‘poor judgment’ – it is a disgusting failure. Americans ought to be enraged. Jeffrey Epstein should be rotting behind bars today, but the Justice Department failed Epstein’s victims at every turn. The DOJ’s crooked deal with Epstein effectively shut down investigations into his child sex trafficking ring and protected his co-conspirators in other states. Justice has not been served. The full report needs to be released to the public. OPR might have finished its report, but we have an obligation to make sure this never happens again.&#8221;
After Epstein was found dead in prison, Sasse <a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=102317&amp;c=SenSasse">wrote</a> to Attorney General William Barr, criticizing the lack of precautions taken. “The Department of Justice failed, and today Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators think they might have just gotten one last sweetheart deal,” wrote Sasse. “Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him. Given Epstein’s previous attempted suicide, he should have been locked in a padded room under unbroken, 24/7, constant surveillance. Obviously, heads must roll.”
After the Maxwell verdict, Sasse didn’t wait long to once again lambaste the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein and Maxwell crime ring. “Justice must be done,” he said. “Epstein and Maxwell’s victims deserve nothing less. The DOJ failed again and again and again when Epstein escaped justice. Maxwell must pay for her heinous crimes.”

‘Go After Every Single Scumbag’: Sasse Calls On DOJ To Look For Everyone Who Co-Conspired With Epstein And Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

Senator Been Sasse (R-NE) joined six other Senate Republicans in calling for Attorney General Merrick Garland to return to Capitol Hill and face additional questions about the Justice Department&#8217;s role in addressing tensions between parents and school boards.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republicans-ag-garland-testify-again-statements-misleading">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
Seven <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/senate/republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> are asking <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/justice-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a> to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, stating that previous testimony appeared to be &#8220;deeply misleading&#8221; in describing the department&#8217;s attempts to counter purported school board intimidation.
&#8220;The FBI should be going after mobsters, not soccer moms. Attorney General Garland has told one story but the actions of some in the Department of Justice tell another,&#8221; said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., in an exclusive statement to Fox News. &#8220;He needs to return to the Judiciary Committee and give clear answers to the American people.&#8221; 
</blockquote>
According to the letter, sent to <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-senator-cruz-unloads-on-ag-merrick-garland-grills-him-over-why-he-dodged-key-question/">Garland</a> on Monday, the cosigning Republicans voiced concern that the attorney general&#8217;s October 27th testimony did not align with information provided by a whistleblower. They also questioned, as many had during the hearing, how closely Garland intended the DOJ to follow his <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ag-garland-says-he-wont-rescind-doj-memo-directing-fbi-to-investigate-confrontations-at-school-board-meetings/">October 4th memo</a>, which suggested the FBI could be deployed to manage situations that arose in local school board meetings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senate Judiciary GOP calls upon AG Merrick Garland to testify before them again: “We remain deeply concerned that your October 4 Memorandum is being used by the DOJ and the FBI as a basis to pursue investigations against American parents for First Amendment-protected activities.” <a href="https://t.co/yMrnJ8iuCu">pic.twitter.com/yMrnJ8iuCu</a>
— Jerry Christmas 🎄🎅🏽 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1465491869949956099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Garland, who avoided the use of the term &#8220;domestic terror&#8221; when referring to concerned parents in his own memo — insisted during his testimony that the Justice Department would only be utilized in cases where violence had occurred or had been threatened. But his memo, which was in response to a request from the National School Board Association that did suggest disruptive parents were potentially engaging in acts of domestic terror, suggested that the FBI could be deployed in instances of alleged harassment rather than only in cases of violence.
&#8220;We remain deeply concerned that your October 4 Memorandum is being used by the DOJ and the FBI as a basis to pursue investigations against American parents for First Amendment-protected activities,&#8221; the letter read. Signers included, in addition to Sasse, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Lee, (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
&#8220;You stated that the ‘purpose of this Memorandum is to get our law enforcement to assess the extent of the problem’ and that the Memo ‘comes before investigations.’ When asked why the DOJ was treating parents at school boards as domestic terrorists, you said: ‘[m]y Memo says nothing about domestic terrorism, says nothing about parents committing any such things,&#8221; the letter continued.
The FBI informed Fox News in an earlier statement that Garland&#8217;s memo &#8220;in no way changes the long-standing requirements for opening an investigation, nor does it represent a shift in how the FBI prioritizes threats.&#8221;
&#8220;The Attorney General&#8217;s memorandum simply underscores the FBI’s ongoing efforts to assist state, local, and federal partners to address threats of violence, regardless of the motivation. The FBI has never been in the business of investigating parents who speak out or policing speech at school board meetings, and we are not going to start now,&#8221; the statement concluded.

Merrick Garland Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Committee

Ben Sasse And Others Want AG Garland Back In Hot Seat: ‘The FBI Should Be Going After Mobsters, Not Soccer Moms’

Education

Merrick Garland

National School Boards Association

Parenting

School Board

Four Republican members of Congress denounced Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) on Wednesday for his recent call to strip the Catholic Church of its tax-exempt status after the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted to draft a document that could rebuke pro-abortion Catholic politicians.
Sens. Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Doug Lamborn (R-CO) by criticizing Huffman in exclusive statements to The Daily Wire.
“If they’re going to politically weaponize religion by ‘rebuking’ Democrats who support women’s reproductive choice, then a ‘rebuke’ of their tax-exempt status may be in order,” Huffman tweeted, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-democrat-suggests-stripping-catholic-church-of-tax-exempt-status-if-biden-denied-communion" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If they&#39;re going to politically weaponize religion by &quot;rebuking&quot; Democrats who support women&#39;s reproductive choice, then a &quot;rebuke&quot; of their tax-exempt status may be in order. <a href="https://t.co/P6TGVCOMYp">https://t.co/P6TGVCOMYp</a>
&mdash; Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredHuffman/status/1405967871579103235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Huffman’s tweet was in response to a <a href="https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/catholic-members-congress-release-statement-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> last week from 60 Catholic House Democrats warning the USCCB against what they described as “weaponizing” the Eucharist. The USCCB voted overwhelmingly last Friday in favor of drafting a document that could lead to a rebuke of publicly pro-abortion Catholic politicians such as President Joe Biden. The document, which will be made public at a later date, will advise bishops on how to best enforce the guidelines regarding the reception of Holy Communion.
According to the <a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann879-958_en.html#Art._2." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Code of Canon Law,</a> those who are “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
“Who is Jared Huffman and — more importantly — who does he think he is?&#8221; Sasse told The Daily Wire. &#8220;In America, the federal government gets to say squat about how Jews celebrate Passover, how Muslims celebrate Ramadan, or how Christians celebrate Communion. Power-hungry politicians can’t weaponize tax-exempt status to enforce theology. This is none of the government’s business.&#8221;
“It’s up to President Biden to reconcile his political beliefs with his faith as a Catholic,&#8221; Blackburn said. &#8220;That is between him and the Catholic Church. But it is beyond inappropriate for members of Congress to use their position in government to punish the Church for a sincere belief in the sanctity of life.&#8221;
Banks echoed Sasse and Blackburn, telling The Daily Wire: &#8220;It seems that many Democrats were surprised to learn that the Catholic Church has strong pro-life views. The more contempt the Democrat Party has for Christianity, the more hostile it becomes to religious liberty. The Left sees its values as incompatible with religious faith, and it&#8217;s frightening. Unfortunately for Rep. Huffman, our founders were wise enough to enshrine freedom of religion in the First Amendment, and the Supreme Court has been backing them up recently, too.&#8221;
&#8220;It is unconscionable that House Democrats are attempting to scare churches into silence simply because they are angry over their pro-life religious views,&#8221; Lamborn said. &#8220;Religious organizations should have an absolute right to express their First Amendment rights without fear of persecution from the IRS or federal government. Rep. Huffman’s threat to remove the USCCB’s tax-exempt status must be refuted. Religious institutions deserve our respect, and they deserve the freedom to express their beliefs.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-not-ready-pastor-andrew-brunson-predicts-worsening-religious-persecution-in-u-s-regardless-of-election-outcome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘We’re Not Ready’: Pastor Andrew Brunson Predicts Worsening Religious Persecution In U.S. Regardless Of Election Outcome</a>

Rep. Jared Huffman

‘Unconscionable’: GOP Colleagues Sound Off On House Democrat For Threatening Tax-Exempt Status Of Catholic Church

Catholicism

Jared Huffman

Jim Banks

Marsha Blackburn

Religion

The Nebraska Republican Party accused Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) Saturday of not representing his constituents in a formal rebuke that didn&#8217;t go as far as a full-on censure resolution.
According to the <a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/nebraska-gop-rebukes-sen-ben-sasse-stops-short-of-censure/article_74bd1db0-75ed-11eb-beee-0fd210fd52f8.html">Omaha World-Herald</a>, the GOP state committee formally accused Sasse of failing to represent his constituents, including not taking “any meaningful steps” on immigration reform, not fighting “back against the widespread censorship of conservative voices on public platforms,” and for relying on the legislation of others to advance his conservative credentials instead of forwarding his own legislative agenda.
The committee also accused Sasse of requesting and receiving the endorsement of President Donald Trump ahead of the 2020 general election and then turning around to “criticize us for supporting” Trump once Sasse had won his second senatorial term in November.
Sasse has denied soliciting an endorsement from Trump ahead of the election. The Omaha World-Herald reports, citing Trump campaign staffers on the condition of anonymity, that Sasse’s team solicited a Trump endorsement prior to the election.
The GOP state committee did not issue a formal censure, and a spokesperson for Sasse dismissed the effort by party officials, some of whom the senator has criticized indirectly in the past. 
&#8220;Ben&#8217;s won far more votes and also earned more censures than anybody in Nebraska history, so maybe the two actually go hand in hand,&#8221; Sasse spokesperson James Wegmen told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/27/politics/ben-sasse-nebrasksa-gop-rebuke-impeachment-vote/index.html">CNN</a>. &#8220;He doesn&#8217;t stick his finger in the wind.&#8221;
According to a copy of the resolution obtained by the Omaha World-Herald, the conclusion of the resolution <a href="https://twitter.com/asanderford/status/1365754352347004928">reads</a>: “Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Nebraska Republican Party Central Committee expresses its deep disappointment and sadness with respect to the service of Senator Ben Sasse and calls for an immediate readjustment whereby he represents the people of Nebraska to Washington and not Washington to the people of Nebraska and stands rebuked.”
Sasse was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, which ended in an acquittal in mid-February. Prior to the trial’s end, but after Sasse caught wind that the state GOP might consider a censure resolution against him, the Nebraska senator confronted unspecified members of the committee in a video statement.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sasse-addresses-state-gop-officials-ahead-of-potential-censure-trump-lied-to-you">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported:
<blockquote>&#8220;I’ve heard from many of you in the days since the attack on the Capitol threatening another censure for what I said about the president’s lies after the election. As a friend, and fellow Republican, I’m going to shoot straight: I’m not going to spend any time trying to talk you out of another censure. I listen to Nebraskans every day, and very few of them are as angry at life as some of the people on this committee. Not all of you, but a lot. Political addicts don’t represent most Nebraska conservatives,&#8221; said Sasse.
Sasse told the committee that “many” of them were upset because he condemned Trump’s “lies that led to a riot,” which he later emphasized “happened because the president lied to you.” When in office, said Sasse, Trump “lied about the election results for sixty days, despite losing sixty straight court challenges, many of them handed down by wonderful Trump-appointed judges. He lied by saying that the vice president could just violate his constitutional oath and declare a new winner — that wasn’t true. He then riled a mob that attacked the Capitol, many chanting, ‘hang Pence.’ If that president were a Democrat, we’d both know how you’d respond. But, because he had Republican behind his name, you’re defending him.”
 “Something has definitely changed over the last four years, but it’s not me. Personality cults aren’t conservative. Conspiracy theories aren’t conservative. Lying that an election has been stolen, is not conservative. Acting that politics is a religion — it isn’t conservative,&#8221;  he said.</blockquote>

US-ECONOMY-POLITICS-HEARING-YELLEN

Report: Nebraska GOP Formally Criticizes Ben Sasse, Avoids Censure Resolution

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) repeatedly pressed President Joe Biden&#8217;s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, on issues related to religious liberty and abortion during his Wednesday confirmation hearing.
&#8220;Mr. Becerra, you said a little while ago that you never sued the nuns, which is a pretty interesting way of reframing your bullying,&#8221; Sasse began. &#8220;You actually sued the federal government who had given an exemption to the nuns. Can you explain to us what the Little Sisters of the Poor were doing wrong?&#8221;
For the next few minutes, Sasse repeatedly had to repeat the question to Becerra because he repeatedly dodged it, claiming he was suing the federal government and not the nuns. Sasse pointed out he was evading the question.
&#8220;You say you didn&#8217;t sue the nuns, you sued the federal government that was keeping you from making sure that the nuns had to buy contraceptive insurance,&#8221; Sasse pressed. &#8220;Were the nuns gonna get pregnant?&#8221;
After another couple of minutes passed, Sasse grew increasingly frustrated with Becerra, noting that &#8220;for the fifth time, you did not answer the question.&#8221;
Sasse then asked about undercover videos that activists released in 2015 that he claimed depicted &#8220;former abortion industry employees&#8221; claiming &#8220;on camera that babies who survived abortions were left to die by Planned Parenthood staff in your state in clear violation of both state and federal law.&#8221;
&#8220;Instead of investigating these claims, you raided the houses of the filmmakers who brought these atrocities to light,&#8221; Sasse said. &#8220;Why did you do that?&#8221;
&#8220;Senator, again, I respect the way you framed it,&#8221; Becerra responded. &#8220;I would say to you that it&#8217;s clear that we have we look at it differently. California has privacy laws, and we enforce privacy laws. When we take action based on violation of privacy laws, it&#8217;s because we have evidence that the rights of Californians to their privacy has been violated. You&#8217;ve described it differently. But what I will say to you is my job is to follow the law and make sure others do as well.&#8221;
For his final question, Sasse asked about a case regarding when California poultry farms were secretly recorded in 2014 and 2015 showing inhumane treatment of animals.
&#8220;Did you investigate the filmmakers of the poultry farm filmings?&#8221; Sasse asked.
&#8220;In what years?&#8221; Becerra asked.
&#8220;2014 and 2015,&#8221; Sasse responded.
&#8220;Senator, I was not the attorney general then,&#8221; Becerra responded.
Becerra was also <a href="https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1364701571993505794">not</a> the attorney general when the undercover Planned Parenthood videos were recorded in 2015.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sasse to Becerra: Why Did You Bully Nuns?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kCCOAwR8d8g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>SEN. BEN SASSE (R-NE): Thank you, Chairman. Mr. Becerra, you said a little while ago that you never sued the nuns, which is a pretty interesting way of reframing your bullying. You actually sued the federal government who had given an exemption to the nuns. Can you explain to us what the Little Sisters the poor, were doing wrong?
XAVIER BECERRA, BIDEN HHS NOMINEE: So senator, as I try to explain, my actions were against the federal government, it&#8217;s not the Little Sisters of the Poor, we never alleged that the Little Sisters of the Poor did anything wrong. Our problem was that the federal government was not abiding by the law, as we saw it. And what we did was we took action against the federal government. So California could administer its programs to make sure that the Affordable Care Act continued to work. 
SASSE: What were the nuns doing that made it impossible for California to administer that program? That was just a complete nonsense answer. What were the nuns doing that it made it difficult for California to administer your program?
BECERRA: Well as I said, Senator, our action was against the federal government. It&#8217;s what &#8212;
SASSE: No, no. You continued and you said, so that California could administer your program. What did the nuns do that made it difficult for California to administer that program?
BECERRA: And Senator, what I&#8217;m trying to explain to you is that, we didn&#8217;t we were not looking at the actions of the Little Sisters or any other program, our actions were against the federal government, and the way it was applying the law as it existed to California.
SASSE: But what did the federal government do? It was about the nuns. This is nonsense, like what you&#8217;re saying isn&#8217;t true. You say you didn&#8217;t sue the nuns, you sued the federal government that was keeping you from making sure that the nuns had to buy contraceptive insurance. Were the nuns gonna get pregnant?
BECERRA: Senator, the actions of a state of California, and I was defending the actions of our state and the laws that were in place, the federal government took actions to change the way that we would administer the programs that we had under the Affordable Care Act. Our actions related to how providers are providing services to the people of California. When the federal government took action that we thought was unlawful. We took action to protect the people of California.
SASSE: So again, a whole bunch of words. But you know, well, you&#8217;re incredibly smart man, you know, well, that what the federal government did was make sure that you couldn&#8217;t target the nuns. So you sued the federal government, because the federal government said, the nuns didn&#8217;t have to buy contraceptive insurance. You can put 17 layers of, you were following the law to go after the federal government for administering the program or doing X or doing Y that made it difficult for you to for California to administer the program. But it was just about nuns buying contraceptive coverage. Was there something else the federal government did that you were suing them for when when in the case called California versus Little Sisters of the Poor?
BECERRA: Senator the the case was not again, that was not the name of the case. And what I will tell you is that our actions were based on trying to follow the law that when the federal government took action, which we believe did not comport with the law. At that point, we took action. And our action was based on the law and so as I&#8217;ve said, we may disagree on how we see this. And I respect the differences that we may have. But my action was to follow the law.
SASSE: What about the law, as the federal government&#8217;s conscience exemptions applied, in the case where you sued the federal government? What about the law applied to anybody except the nuns and other similarly situated religious institutions? You were targeting religious liberty.
BECERRA: Sir, let me see if I can try to answer. The Affordable Care Act, it tries to make sure that we are providing health care to all Americans. And we have to make sure that we provide the services that Americans are entitled to receive. We tried to make sure that in California, under the Affordable Care Act, every Californian receives the benefits they&#8217;re entitled to under the that act. And so when we saw that federal government was taking actions, which might abridge those rights&#8211;
SASSE: And so I&#8217;m going to ask the question again, you said the federal government taking actions, this is the third time you haven&#8217;t answered, were any of those actions about anything except nuns and religious liberty? Was the federal government taking other actions that you were suing about in that case? Or was it just because you wanted to target the nuns and religious liberty?
BECERRA: Senator, again, I respect the way you view it, but from the&#8211;
SASSE: Because it&#8217;s actually what happened.
BECERRA: Senator I, again, I understand that we may view it differently, but I was trying to protect access to care. 
SASSE: I&#8217;m giving you the chance to explain what you think it was about if it wasn&#8217;t this, and you&#8217;ve not yet explained to any party except &#8216;the law is administered by the federal government,&#8217; but it was about the nuns.
BECERRA: Senator, I&#8217;ll try once again to explain. Californian&#8217;s are entitled under the Affordable Care Act to access care.
SASSE: And the nuns were keeping them from getting care how?
BECERRA: The federal government was changing the&#8211;
SASSE: To make sure the religious liberty rights of the nuns were protected. Was there anything else the federal government was doing except making sure the nuns had religious liberty?
BECERRA: Senator, I respect the difference&#8211;
SASSE: For the fifth time, you did not answer the question. I&#8217;ve asked you for any party besides the nuns and you&#8217;ve just said you respected the diversity of opinions but I&#8217;m going to move on to another question. Former abortion industry employees, employees from your state have claimed on camera that babies who survived abortions were left to die by Planned Parenthood staff in your state in clear violation of both state and federal law. Instead of investigating these claims, you raided the houses of the filmmakers who brought these atrocities to light. Why did you do that?
BECERRA: Senator, again, I respect the way you framed it. I would say to you that it&#8217;s clear that we have we look at it differently. California has privacy laws, and we enforce privacy laws. When we take action based on violation of privacy laws, it&#8217;s because we have evidence that the rights of Californians to their privacy has been violated. You&#8217;ve described it differently. But what I will say to you is my job is to follow the law and make sure others do as well. 
SASSE: So, I think what you&#8217;re saying is the baby body parts weren&#8217;t interesting, but the filming of it was? But in 2014 and 2015, that California poultry farms&#8211;
SEN. RON WYDEN (D-OR): The senator from Nebraska is over his time and his colleague, Senator Barrasso is next and two others&#8211;
SASSE: Can I ask my colleague if he minds if I go for 45 seconds?
WYDEN: Sure. 45 seconds and that&#8217;s it.
SASSE: Thank you, chairman. In 2014 and 2015, California poultry farms were recorded secretly showing inhumane treatment of animals in California. Did you investigate the filmmakers of the poultry farm filmings?
BECERRA: In what years?
SASSE: 2014 and 2015. 
BECERRA: Senator, I was not the attorney general then.
SASSE: And&#8211;
WYDEN: The time of the gentlemen&#8217;s expired.</blockquote>

US-POLITICS-HEARING-HHS

Sen. Ben Sasse Grills Biden HHS Nominee Xavier Becerra, Appears To Trap Him On Final Question

Xavier Becerra

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