Macey Budke

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Congress still has a responsibility to strengthen rural healthcare systems so women are not left without access to essential care. Macey supports practical solutions that stabilize rural hospital reimbursement, expand provider incentive programs, strengthen rural medical training pipelines, and improve telehealth access when geography limits timely specialty care.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

For too long, rural communities have been left behind because infrastructure models often reward density and short-term return rather than long-term community need, putting sparsely populated areas at a disadvantage. Macey supports a strong federal-state partnership that ensures rural communities receive their fair share of infrastructure investment, while allowing state and local leaders to help set priorities based on regional realities.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Fiscal responsibility does not mean cutting services without thought. It means setting priorities, reducing waste, requiring regular oversight, and making sure federal spending produces measurable results. Macey supports disciplined budgeting, stronger program audits, and greater transparency in how federal funds are distributed and used.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports practical workforce policies that strengthen apprenticeship pathways, expand skilled trades education, encourage partnerships between unions, community colleges, and employers, and ensure workplace safety laws are enforced consistently and fairly. She believes workers should have the freedom to organize and collectively bargain if they choose, while respecting Nebraska’s right-to-work tradition and the role of Nebraska voters in shaping state labor policy.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports practical reforms that strengthen both fairness and enforcement by expanding immigration courts, increasing the number of judges and support staff, reducing unnecessary bureaucratic barriers, and improving the efficiency and transparency of the legal process. She believes border management must be lawful, orderly, and consistent with constitutional protections, including due process.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports a constitutional approach to government that restores balance through clearer legislation, stronger congressional oversight, defined limits on executive expansion, and respect for the role of states in areas best governed closer to the people. She believes federal policy should provide support where constitutionally appropriate, while leaving room for state and local leadership where local knowledge matters most.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports responsible gun ownership alongside policies that strengthen background check enforcement, improve mental healthcare access, and allow narrowly tailored intervention when credible threats exist with strong due process protections. She does not support broad federal bans focused on cosmetic or ergonomic firearm features when those measures do little to address the root causes of violence or improve enforcement. She also supports lawful concealed carry reciprocity so responsible gun owners are not placed in legal jeopardy when traveling across state lines.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports a constitutional approach that protects equal treatment under the law, upholds basic non- discrimination standards, and reduces harm where people are vulnerable to exclusion or mistreatment. She also believes questions involving education, parental involvement, youth development, and healthcare policy should be handled with care, clarity, and respect for the roles of families, communities, and states where appropriate.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports practical solutions that strengthen rural access to care through telehealth, mobile services, and stronger partnerships between the VA and trusted local providers. She believes disability claims and benefits decisions should be processed more efficiently and transparently, and that veterans should have timely access to community-based care options where appropriate, while ensuring quality, transparency, and continuity of care.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Macey supports responsible domestic production alongside practical investment in innovation that improves efficiency, expands biofuel markets, strengthens grid reliability, and supports agricultural resilience. She believes adaptation and technological advancement, not rigid one-size-fits-all mandates, are the best path to keeping rural communities competitive and forward-looking.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push workforce policy beyond short-term placement. The goal is to make rural healthcare jobs sustainable by supporting retention, leadership quality, workforce housing, spousal employment support, manager training, cross-facility coverage, and other conditions that make providers more likely to stay instead of cycling through short-term placements.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would build a more dependable frontier behavioral health network through embedded services in primary care, tele-crisis access, regional psychiatric backup, and better follow-up after emergency visits or 988 calls. The point is to make behavioral health function like a real part of the healthcare system, not a fragile referral chain or an afterthought.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for women’s and maternal health readiness funding so care is built around safety and continuity, not just delivery volume. That means supporting tele-OB and tele-gynecology backup, transfer planning, postpartum follow-up, and local readiness so women are not put at greater risk simply because the system was designed around denser places than rural Nebraska.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would treat broadband as healthcare infrastructure. That means supporting connectivity not just for telehealth visits, but for the full rural care workflow — remote monitoring, specialist backup, coordination between providers, and shared regional systems that help rural care operate more smoothly across long distances.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for stronger regional coordination so the people responsible for rural healthcare are actually planning together. That means fewer disconnected systems, better transfer and referral pathways, less duplication, and a healthcare structure that works more like one operating system instead of a patchwork of separate parts.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push Congress and CMS/CMMI to create a permanent rural and frontier payment track built around readiness and access, not just throughput. Nebraska Medicaid should be able to align with the same model so providers are not trapped between two different systems that reward two different things. CMS is already using Rural Health Transformation funding to support care redesign and new models, so this would move that work from pilot logic into a stronger long-term structure. (CMS)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for federal policy that conditions enhanced rural support on hospitals, clinics, and regional care networks formally including EMS in planning and operations.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would introduce legislation directing CMS, HRSA, FCC, and SAMHSA to use a shared rural-access overlay when designing grants, payment models, rules, and federal rural programs. I would also support a broader federal rural impact standard in healthcare policy so major agency decisions are tested against real rural conditions, including long travel distances, sparse populations, fragile service networks, workforce shortages, and limited local implementation capacity.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

spousal employment partnerships

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

and targeted relief for burnout and call burden

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push CMS to create stronger payment support for coordination, follow-up, and integration in frontier communities. I would also push SAMHSA and CMS to adapt CCBHC-style models for sparse rural regions so they work in hub-and-spoke form and do not assume metro population density. CMS and SAMHSA already have pieces of this logic. The missing step is to redesign the model around frontier operating reality instead of asking rural regions to adapt to metro assumptions. (CMS)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Coverage Stability Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would also support pathways for building shared regional digital backbones so rural providers can work together on one interoperable system rather than several weak disconnected ones.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Congress should direct FCC and CMS to align their programs more closely so telecom support and payment rules actually reinforce each other. CMS already recognizes technology-enabled care in rural transformation. The next step is to treat that infrastructure as essential, not optional. (Federal Communications Commission)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for transparency that people can actually use. That means more proactive disclosure, clearer public-facing information, searchable systems, and plain-language explanations so regular people can follow decisions, records, and spending without needing insider knowledge.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would create a plain-language public promise tracker so people can see whether major campaign commitments were pursued, partially advanced, blocked, abandoned, or reversed — and why. If a leader changes position, the public should get a direct explanation. Voters deserve to judge elected officials by follow-through, not just rhetoric.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would strengthen whistleblower protections, improve reporting channels, and support more independent oversight. The goal is to make it easier for truth to come forward and harder for serious problems to stay buried behind internal pressure or silence.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for simpler, clearer accountability systems built around one basic test: can a normal person follow what happened without needing a guidebook? Accountability should be something people can actually use, not something buried under process.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would require rural reality review in public decision-making so policies are tested for metro assumptions before they are pushed onto rural communities. That means looking at access, staffing, transportation, internet, and administrative burden before calling a system fair or workable.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a District-First Representation Standard and a Constituent Accountability Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would practice regular public explanation of major votes, decisions, and priorities in plain English tied directly to the realities of Nebraska’s 3rd District. I would also support broader reforms and norms that make district-first accountability a clearer public expectation.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Constituent Accessibility and Responsiveness Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Public Transparency and Access Act and a Plain-Language Government Information Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support an Ethics, Lobbying, and Donor Transparency Act and a Public Disclosure Clarity Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for clearer public-facing dashboards and summaries so people can tell who is trying to influence decisions and where funding pressure is coming from.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger public follow-through requirements that make campaign commitments easier to track after election day. One practical example would be a plain-language public promise tracker, so voters can clearly see what was promised, what was pursued, what was blocked, what was dropped, and what changed along the way. The goal is not to pretend every elected official can control every outcome. The goal is to make sure promises are not treated like disposable campaign marketing.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Whistleblower Protection and Independent Oversight Act and an Oversight Independence Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Government Accountability Simplification Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Reality Review Requirement and a Rural Impact Statement Standard for major policies affecting public access, reporting, constituent service, and implementation.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

That is the leadership accountability standard I would fight for.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push beyond short-term recruitment by focusing on long-term educator stability. That means stronger rural teacher pipelines, better support for endorsement completion, and retention-focused strategies that help schools build durable staffing instead of living in a constant cycle of vacancies and stopgap fixes.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would treat absenteeism as a student-support issue instead of just a compliance issue. That means earlier intervention, better family outreach, stronger mental health support, and more practical re-engagement efforts so students are helped before they fall too far behind.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for stronger rural special education capacity through better staffing support, shared-service models, and improved access to needed services. The goal is to reduce crisis staffing and make it more realistic for rural districts to meet student needs without burning out the system.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would strengthen career and technical education, dual credit, and school-to-workforce alignment so students have more real options after graduation. The point is not to lower expectations. It is to make opportunity more practical, relevant, and connected to real futures.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would treat broadband as education infrastructure, not an optional extra. That means stronger support for school connectivity, home access, and regional course sharing so students in rural districts are not locked out of learning opportunities simply because the digital systems around them are weaker.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for administrative simplification so schools are not constantly pulled away from their real work. That means reducing duplicative reporting, easing unnecessary compliance strain, and making systems more usable so educators and administrators can focus more on students and less on feeding paperwork.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would treat schools as long-term rural infrastructure. That means protecting staffing, course access, and school stability not just as education issues, but as community survival issues. Strong schools help keep rural Nebraska strong.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My position is simple: education policy should be judged by whether rural schools can stay staffed, students can get real opportunity close to home, and communities can sustain strong local schools over time. That is the standard I would push.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Educator Stability Act and a Long-Term Educator Sustainability Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push to use and expand federal programs like Title II and educator development grants more directly for rural retention, endorsement completion, and shortage-area staffing support. The federal SEED program already exists to support evidence-based educator development; I would push for a stronger rural priority and clearer long-term retention measures within that kind of framework. (U.S. Department of Education)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

That does not mean standards should be lowered. It means state and federal government should stop pretending that a tiny rural district and a metro district are operating under the same conditions.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural School Sustainability Standard and a Rural Education Impact Statement for major education rules and funding changes.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Student Re-Engagement and Attendance Stability Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for broader use of Title I, Title IV, and other federal flexibility to support evidence-based re-engagement work, while pushing back against narrow compliance approaches that do not solve the reason students disengage in the first place. Nebraska’s own strategic plan already points to chronic absenteeism as a priority; my approach would make re-engagement a stronger operational priority rather than just a dashboard metric. (Nebraska Department of Education)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Special Education Capacity Act.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push to protect and strengthen IDEA support, with stronger rural-weighted staffing and service-access considerations. The federal government is already funding IDEA, but I would push harder on rural implementation so staffing strategies and support formulas better reflect the real burden on small districts. (U.S. Department of Education)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Opportunity and Workforce Pathways Act.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger use of Perkins and related workforce-education partnerships to support rural course access and career-connected learning. Nebraska already has pieces of this structure; my approach would push them further toward long-term regional opportunity building, not just grant compliance. (Nebraska Department of Education)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support an Education Connectivity Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

and reliable access for rural families.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger modernization and protection of E-Rate and related broadband support so rural schools and students are not left with second-tier digital access. The FCC already acknowledges E-Rate’s central role in affordable broadband for schools and libraries; my approach would make rural educational access the core test of success. (Federal Communications Commission)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support an Education Administrative Simplification Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for streamlining duplicative reporting, simplifying grant administration where possible, and applying a rural-capacity lens to compliance requirements. Nebraska’s own systems show how much administrative complexity schools carry; my approach would not eliminate accountability, but it would aim to make it more usable. (Nebraska Department of Education)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural School Sustainability and Community Stability Act.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for funding, accountability, and program design that recognize schools as long-term rural infrastructure. That is broader than most federal education policy currently allows, but it is the right frame for frontier and rural communities.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

That is the education standard I would fight for.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for stronger long-term stability by aligning risk tools, disaster support, and broader farm policy around whether producers can actually stay viable over time. The goal is not just helping operations survive the next hit. It is helping them stay independent and functional across seasons, markets, and shocks.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for stronger competition enforcement, more pricing transparency, and greater regional processing capacity. The goal is to reduce chokepoints, give producers more real options, and stop pretending a highly concentrated market is the same thing as a healthy one.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would treat water security as part of agricultural economic policy, not just resource management. That means supporting practical conservation, irrigation modernization, and long-term water resilience in a way that protects the productive future of agriculture instead of only reacting once the strain becomes harder to ignore.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would focus more directly on family farm viability, transition support, and producer independence. The goal is to make it more realistic for smaller and midsize operations to survive and continue, instead of letting policy quietly reward scale while independence keeps shrinking.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for stronger preparedness, better coordination, and more practical support for producers when animal health disruptions happen. The goal is to reduce avoidable chaos and make the system more resilient before the next outbreak, not just scramble harder after it begins.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan would push for administrative simplification so federal and state agricultural programs are easier to use and less burdensome to access. The point is to make support systems actually usable instead of letting paperwork become another structural barrier.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support an Agricultural Stability and Producer Independence Act and a Long-Term Producer Sustainability Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push USDA and Congress to shift more attention toward long-term producer stability in the next Farm Bill framework: better alignment between crop insurance, disaster policy, livestock risk tools, and producer cash-flow stability; more durable support for smaller and midsize operations; and stronger evaluation of whether current programs are preserving producer independence or just slowing collapse. USDA already has many of the pieces. My approach would push those pieces toward durability instead of patchwork. (Farm Service Agency)

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Fair Agricultural Markets and Processing Capacity Act and a Livestock Market Fairness Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger Packers and Stockyards enforcement, support for expanded regional processing capacity, and closer federal review of competition failures in cattle and other concentrated sectors. I would also push USDA and Congress to treat processing resilience as part of national agricultural infrastructure instead of just a private-sector issue.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Water Security for Agricultural Sustainability Act and a Rural Agricultural Water Resilience Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push USDA conservation, irrigation, and climate-resilience programs to work more directly with state groundwater realities in places like Nebraska. I would also push for stronger federal support for producer-led water resilience, irrigation modernization, drought planning, and aquifer-life extension strategies. Nebraska already has the institutions. My approach would push federal policy to match the scale of the long-term water risk.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Producer-Focused Agricultural Trade Stability Act and an Agricultural Trade Shock Protection Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger trade-risk planning tied to agriculture, improved export market stability efforts, and more honest accounting of how federal trade decisions affect specific sectors and regions. Trade policy should not be designed as though Nebraska producers are just collateral damage in a larger strategy.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Value-Added Agriculture and Processing Act.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger federal support for regional processing, value-added agriculture, producer-linked market development, and rural industrial capacity that actually connects back to family operations and local communities.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Family Farm Viability and Transition Act and a Producer Independence Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger support for beginning producers, intergenerational transition, and family-farm viability programs while also pressing for policy review on whether federal agriculture structures unintentionally accelerate consolidation.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support an Agricultural Biosecurity and Producer Resilience Act.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for stronger federal-state coordination on livestock and poultry disease resilience, faster support pathways when outbreaks hit operations, and better integration of resilience planning into agricultural policy rather than treating it as a separate emergency box.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support an Agricultural Administrative Simplification Standard.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would push for simplification of duplicative reporting, more usable enrollment and claims processes, and stronger attention to whether federal agriculture programs are actually accessible to the producers they are supposed to support.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

I would support a Rural Agricultural Infrastructure and Community Stability Act.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

That is the agriculture standard I would fight for.