{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-highlights-efforts-to-address-loneliness-and-isolation-in-nebraska/", "Ricketts Highlights Efforts to Address Loneliness and Isolation in Nebraska", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Pete Ricketts", "R000618", "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "ricketts", "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted his ongoing efforts to address loneliness and isolation ahead of introducing the Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act this week.\n\n\u201cNo Nebraskan should feel alone this holiday season. Yet, about a third of Nebraskans report feeling lonely at some point throughout the year,\u201d said Senator Ricketts. \u201cAs I travel the state, I hear stories of Nebraskans who feel like they\u2019re losing connections to their communities. That\u2019s why I am introducing the Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act. We must recognize and address loneliness in America.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s time to address loneliness. Like any other policy issue, we need to know what to measure in order to tackle the problem and improve lives. We must invest resources to improve measurements to target social isolation,\u201d continued Senator Ricketts. \u201cOnly then can we implement common-sense policy to address loneliness.\u201d\n\nWatch the video here.\n\nThis comes as reports show about a third of Nebraskans report feeling lonely at some point throughout the year and more than 40% of people over age 60 said they felt lonely.\n\nTRANSCRIPT:\n\nSenator Ricketts: \u201cThank you all for joining this press call today.\n\n\u201cThe holidays are a special time in Nebraska.\n\n\u201cWe volunteer to serve our communities, families and friends spend more time together, but for too many Nebraskans, the holidays can be lonely.\n\n\u201cFamilies are increasingly spread apart. I know that\u2019s true for my family.\n\n\u201cDigital connections are good, but it\u2019s not the same thing as being there in person.\n\n\u201cNebraskans of all ages are becoming more isolated as a result.\n\n\u201cNo Nebraskans should feel alone this holiday season.\n\n\u201cYet, about a third of Nebraskans report feeling lonely at some point throughout the year.\n\n\u201cAs I travel the state, I hear stories of Nebraskans who feel like they\u2019re losing connections to their communities.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s why I recently introduced the improving measurements for loneliness and isolation act.\n\n\u201cWe must recognize and address loneliness in America across Nebraska mental health care providers are hard at work to address the growing problem of loneliness.\n\n\u201cLoneliness occurs in both our rural and urban communities. Seniors are more vulnerable.\n\n\u201cThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and medicine reports loneliness and isolation in older adults are strongly associated with greater incidences of morbidity, that includes cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, a decreased quality of life and early death.\n\n\u201cA report from February 2020 found that about a quarter of seniors were socially isolated. More than 40% of people over the age of 60 said they felt lonely.\n\n\u201cThe COVID pandemic exacerbated many of these problems one size fit all policies from the federal government didn\u2019t help.\n\n\u201cLoneliness does not just affect Nebraska seniors, however.\n\n\u201cA study conducted by the University of Nebraska Lincoln found that 21% of young Nebraskans feel lonely to from some or to all the time.\n\n\u201cAnother 24% reported feeling lonely a little bit of the time.\n\n\u201cThese numbers are way too high. It\u2019s time to address loneliness like any other policy issue, we need to know what measure, what to measure in order to tackle the problem and improve lives.\n\n\u201cWe must invest resources to improve measurements to target social isolation.\n\n\u201cOnly then can we implement common sense policy to address loneliness.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s why I will be introducing the Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a bipartisan bill that I\u2019m leading with Senator Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire.\n\n\u201cRepresentative Mike Flood introduced the companion bill in the House.\n\n\u201cThis bill would establish a working group that standardizes the measurements of loneliness and isolation.\n\n\u201cThis will allow us, allow experts to target the root causes of loneliness.\n\n\u201cAddressing these factors is essential for what for the well-being of Nebraska communities.\n\n\u201cThis holiday season, remember to reach out to those who might be isolated.\n\n\u201cEncourage them to join your holiday festivities.\n\n\u201cAt our last Thanksgiving gathering, we had 89 people.\n\n\u201cWe invited people who didn\u2019t have any other plans.\n\n\u201cI encourage people to do the same.\n\n\u201cReach out to others and bring them with you as you volunteer with charities or churches or schools.\n\n\u201cNebraska nice is not just a phrase.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s defined by how Nebraskans lift up one another.\n\n\u201cFederal mandates alone will not solve loneliness.\n\n\u201cIn fact, it\u2019s just the opposite.\n\n\u201cWe can do a lot at the federal level, but at the end of the day, strong communities will help lift people out of loneliness and isolation.\n\n\u201cNebraska is what America is supposed to be.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s lead by example and support every Nebraskan this season.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-highlights-efforts-to-address-loneliness-and-isolation-in-nebraska/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8394799660891294, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}