Fort Reports
Feb 6, 2017
Fort Report
On the wall outside my office hangs a framed copy of one of the first pieces of legislation I worked on. The bill increased the number of Iraqi translators who could come to the United States. Serving alongside our troops, these translators had put themselves and their families...
Jan 30, 2017
Fort Report
Our soldiers know this feeling all too well. Perhaps you have experienced it too. You are in a far off place with no one familiar around you, and then you see it and experience an instant feeling of connection—an American flag. At that moment, the flag is more than a piece of...
Jan 23, 2017
Fort Report
When presidents give their inaugural addresses, we are accustomed to lofty narratives, to visionary ideals, to sweeping language. President Trump spoke differently. The only sweeping thing in his speech was his reference to the wind-swept plains of Nebraska. Of course I perked...
Jan 17, 2017
Fort Report
I received a note from Scott, a farmer from Nebraska. It is a straightforward letter, Nebraska like. I’ll just show you basically what he wrote:
Congressman Fortenberry,
My health care is $23,000 a year with a $20,000 deductable.
I have $46,000 in property taxes (on a...
Jan 9, 2017
Fort Report
On January 3, I took the Oath of Office as a member of the United States House of Representatives. This is my constitutional duty.
Dec 16, 2016
Fort Report
The Electoral College is not a place to study politics. There are no grades, no classes, and no professors. It is not a mystical place of academic tradition. While we tend to think of the presidential election as a matter of vote totals, by our law it is the men and women of the...
Dec 9, 2016
Fort Report
An interesting thing happened in the wake of the recent election. A member of the elite press corps admitted to being a member of the elite. It's a stunning and refreshingly honest admission. The national media misread the election. Some are now beginning to recognize that they...
Dec 2, 2016
Fort Report
In a recent meeting with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, he concluded his remarks to us by saying, “Buckle up.” Beginning in January, we will have a new President and Congress. The next hundred days will be intense. The next hundred days will create possibilities. The next...
Nov 23, 2016
Fort Report
Last night, far away from the ornate halls of Congress, and a healthy distance from all of the nation’s post-election debate, I attended the dance and cheer performance at Northeast High School in Lincoln. A number of local schools participated. The Northeast Star Strutters were...
Nov 21, 2016
Fort Report
If I had to choose two words to describe the prevailing mood in Washington, they would be curiosity and urgency. Curiosity as to how this moment translates—and urgency, not to waste it. Even though the election was a proxy for many open and deep philosophical divides in the...