Nebraska Panhandle News

Senator Pete Ricketts, representing Nebraska in the U.S. Senate, used his social media platform on October 9, 2025, to address ongoing issues in the Senate and recent confirmations.

In a post made at 15:53 UTC, Ricketts stated, ".@SenateGOP successfully cleared the backlog of President Trump’s nominees last night. We’re continuing to overcome @SenateDems historic obstruction. Despite the Schumer Shutdown, Republicans in the Senate are still fighting to deliver on Americans’ priorities. It’s time for https://t.co/uwXr2Y9G8W".

Later that day at 17:53 UTC, Ricketts commented on the ongoing government shutdown, writing, "We are now in the second week of the Schumer Shutdown. Services continue to be impacted. Schumer used to say that holding funding bills hostage was wrong. In 2013, he said: 'What if I persuaded my caucus to say: ‘I’m going to shut the government down. I’m going to not pay our https://t.co/p2EqdNny1j'".

In another post at 20:33 UTC, Ricketts expressed support for Lesley Woods Murphy's confirmation as U.S. Attorney: "Lesley Woods Murphy is an experienced prosecutor. She's already doing great work keeping our state safe as our Interim U.S. Attorney. On Tuesday, I happily voted to confirm her. Congratulations, Lesley! https://t.co/Wwh2PggFu5".

The current government shutdown referenced by Ricketts is part of a longstanding debate over federal funding in Congress. Previous shutdowns have often resulted from disagreements between parties on budgetary issues and policy riders attached to spending bills. The mention of "Schumer Shutdown" refers to Senator Chuck Schumer, who has been a key figure in recent congressional negotiations.

Lesley Woods Murphy’s confirmation as U.S. Attorney follows standard procedures involving nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate.