New grassroots group seeks to help Nebraskans understand federal policy impacts

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A new grassroots organization is hoping to help those in the Omaha community understand how votes in Washington D.C. will have an impact on their lives.

Wednesday night, Nebraska For Us held its kick-off event at Cunningham’s Pub and Grill near 107th and Dodge Streets.

“We will be a program that really focuses on federal policy and economic policy that really affects working class and middle-income Nebraskans and making sure that we are putting the voices of Nebraskans front and center when it comes to those votes,” said Angie Lauritsen, the state director for the new advocacy organization.

Essentially, the group wants to break down the nitty-gritty details of federal policies that are being debated in Washington D.C., cutting them up into chunks that are easier for Nebraskans, and people in general, to understand.

“We’re hoping to fill a void that might currently be within Nebraska when it comes to federal policy and hopefully we can be that resource for Nebraskans to come to us so we can break it down in a way that is digestible,” Lauritsen said.

The groups formation comes during a time where many are struggling with cost of living.

“I’ve had to get a second job to actually make ends meet,” said Gloria, a Nebraska For Us supporter. “My spouse has diabetes himself, I know quickly how the cost and amounts of prescriptions actually just goes up and up and up for us.”

It also comes as Congress considers bills that could have impacts on things like Medicaid and retirement benefits, all while hoping to avoid a potential government shutdown.

“Now that we’re in our retirement years, we want to join millions of others in counting on these benefits after putting in our decades of work,” said Mike, a concerned citizen and another supporter of the organization. “We want to count on these benefits to help us in our retirement to enjoy the rest of our life.”

Nebraska For Us says they want to ensure representatives, especially Don Bacon, are focusing on making life more affordable. They say they’ll be watching closely.

“There’s a lot of things that happen in D.C. and its not always reported on, the actual votes that happen in the day to day, so our focus will be strictly on the votes and making sure that policy is front and center in everything we do,” Lauritsen said.

For more information on the organization, you can visit their website here.