Ben Sasse is the newly elected Republican Senator for Nebraska.
He released a statement urging Americans to think critically when it comes to the election:
Americans sent an unmistakable message last Tuesday: Washington is broken and needs disruption. I hear that and agree.
In recent days, Nebraskans who voted for Donald Trump, or Hillary Clinton, or none of the above, have all asked me this question: “Now what? For over a year, you were concerned about Donald Trump’s character and about whether he recognizes the Constitution’s limits on presidential power. So are you going to oppose him now, or will you get on the Trump train?”
I get why folks are asking but, humbly, this shouldn’t be an either-or question. I wrote an op-ed in this Sunday’s Omaha World-Herald about where we go from here, but here are the essential points:
No voter — whether thrilled or worried about our new president — should uncritically join his “train” or uncritically hope for his failure. All or nothing isn’t how Americans think about government.
Senators should not be reflexive antagonists. Nor should senators go along to get along. Rather, I’m there to do what Nebraskans hired me to do: Uphold my oath to defend the Constitution regardless of partisan politics, hear and represent their concerns in Washington, fight for limited government and for the limitless potential of every American and look for big solutions that create more opportunity for all.
I am going to be looking for places where we share common ground with the president. Yes, there will also be times when Congress and the White House disagree — that is part of our system. That’s why the founders created different branches of government.
Let’s get to work. Let’s look for common ground. Let’s reaffirm a Constitution that checks and balances the three branches of government.
And let’s all hope for our president’s success.
Ben Sasse
