{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/video-ricketts-fights-to-make-american-dream-good-life-more-attainable-for-nebraska-families/", "VIDEO: Ricketts Fights to Make American Dream, Good Life More Attainable for Nebraska Families", "2026-06-26", "2026", "2026-06", "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 This week on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed his work to support the American Dream and make the Good Life more attainable for the next generation of Nebraskans. He highlighted how the Working Families Tax Cuts invest in American families and children. This includes the new Trump Accounts and the expansion of the Child Tax Credit.\n\n\u201cFor over 250 years, people from all backgrounds have been able to work hard and to achieve the American Dream,\u201d said Ricketts. \u201cAnd here in the United States Senate, I am fighting to renew the American dream. One of the ways that we have done that, with my Senate Republican colleagues, is the Working Families Tax Cuts that we passed last year. The Working Families Tax Cuts invests in American families and in American children.\u201d\n\nWatch the video here.\n\nTRANSCRIPT\n\nSenator Ricketts: \u201cMr. President, our country was founded on the belief that all Americans have the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s fundamental to who we are as Americans.\n\n\u201cAnd these are the building blocks of the American dream.\n\n\u201cWe live in a nation of opportunity.\n\n\u201cWe live in a nation that enables kids to have it better than their parents.\n\n\u201cA nation that believes that hard work leads to success.\n\n\u201cAnd for over 250 years, people from all backgrounds have been able to work hard and to achieve the American dream.\n\n\u201cAnd here in the United States Senate, I am fighting to renew the American dream.\n\n\u201cOne of the ways that we have done that, with my Senate Republican colleagues, is the Working Families Tax Cuts that we passed last year.\n\nThe Working Families Tax Cuts invests in American families and in American children.\n\nIt invests in the next generation.\n\n\u201cWith my Senate colleagues, on the Republican side, we\u2019re building a path for another 250 years of opportunity for this great nation and for the children and families in this great nation.\n\n\u201cThe Working Families Tax Cut was great for families.\n\n\u201cOne of the ways that it was great for families and for Nebraskans in my state, is with the Trump Accounts that were part of that overall package.\n\n\u201cThese are investment accounts that will kick-start the American dream for kids all across this nation.\n\n\u201cYou can download the app right now.\n\n\u201cStarting on July 4, Nebraskans and all Americans will be able to start opening up these accounts.\n\n\u201cAll American kids under the age of 18 will be eligible to have one of these accounts.\n\n\u201cAnd those born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, will also be able to enroll and automatically have $1,000 put into their account, courtesy of the U.S. Treasury, to be able to help kick-start that American dream.\n\n\u201cParents and guardians will be the custodians of these accounts, but the children will own them, and when those kids turn 18, they\u2019ll be able to take possession of those Trump Accounts.\n\n\u201cThese accounts work like traditional retirement accounts.\n\n\u201cUp to $5,000 a year can be put into these accounts, these Trump Accounts. And it can come from your parents, grandparents. It can come from communities. It can come from churches. It can come from governments. It can come from nonprofits, employers can contribute.\n\n\u201cAnd help build that foundation for those young people to be able to achieve the American dream.\n\n\u201cMany have already committed to contributing to Trump Accounts.\n\n\u201cFor example, Michael and Susan Dell have donated $6.25 billion to the first 25 million American kids who sign up for these accounts that also reside in zip codes with a median income that\u2019s below $150,000.\n\n\u201cThat means that each one of those kids will get about $250 on top of the $1,000 that the treasury\u2019s putting in.\n\n\u201cCharles Schwab has said he will match the government\u2019s $1,000 with another $1,000 for all the people who work at his company.\n\n\u201cThese are just a couple of examples of how philanthropists are working together with the U.S. Government to be able to kick-start young people\u2019s American dreams through these Trump Accounts.\n\n\u201cIn my home state of Nebraska, our state government is going to open accounts for all the foster kids in Nebraska.\n\n\u201cThese Fostering the Future Accounts will work just the same, making sure that young Nebraskans in foster care have a little extra financial help.\n\n\u201cThis money is so that these young Nebraskans can put it toward college, buying their first home, or starting a business.\n\n\u201cFor children whose accounts start with $1,000, additional contributions will not be required.\n\n\u201cThe accounts will still grow.\n\n\u201cAnd these accounts will help launch those kids into their future.\n\n\u201cAnother way we are investing in our children and families is with the expansion of the Child Tax Credit.\n\n\u201cIn The Working Families Tax Cut, we increased that Child Tax Credit to $2,200 and made it permanent.\n\n\u201cIt was set to fall to $1,000, but Senate Republicans made it permanent and took it up.\n\n\u201cThe Child Tax Credit will benefit over 239,000 Nebraska families.\n\n\u201cIncreasing the Child Tax Credit allows these families to have more money in their pockets, and we want to encourage Americans to work hard and support their families.\n\n\u201cThis is what keeps the American dream alive.\n\n\u201cThe Working Families Tax Cut also provides an increase in the Child and Dependent Tax Cut.\n\n\u201cWe increased the maximum credit from 25% up to 50%, and we took the increased tax deduction up from $5,000 to $7,500.\n\n\u201cWe made the first ever permanent Paid Medical Leave Tax Credit, based on legislation from Senator Deb Fischer.\n\n\u201cThis will encourage our businesses to offer that benefit to families all across the nation.\n\n\u201cWe expanded the tax credits for employer-provided childcare, and created new credits for small businesses to be able to create childcare at work.\n\n\u201cWe also extended the Able Accounts, which otherwise would have expired in 2025.\n\n\u201cThese accounts help individuals with disabilities to save and invest through tax-free savings, without losing eligibility for federal programs like Medicaid and supplemental security income.\n\n\u201cThese are real investments in American families and the next generation.\n\n\u201cAnd similar to my colleague from Wyoming who pointed this out, every single Democrat \u2014 every single one \u2014 voted against these provisions that would help young Americans be able to achieve the American dream.\n\n\u201cEvery single Democrat voted against them.\n\n\u201cSenate Republicans, by contrast, are fighting in the U.S. Senate to renew opportunity for our kids\u2019 futures and supporting families in our country.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re encouraging and supporting the American dream.\n\n\u201cAnd we\u2019re making it possible for the Good Life to be more attainable for all Nebraskans.\u201d", 1, "2026-06-27T06:16:17Z", "2026-06-27T06:17:30Z"]], "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/video-ricketts-fights-to-make-american-dream-good-life-more-attainable-for-nebraska-families/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1362852528691292, "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"}