Congressman Flood's Statehood Day Statement

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA – U.S. Congressman Mike Flood issued a recorded statement ahead of Nebraska’s Statehood Day, which will be celebrated on March 1, 2025.

Video of the remarks can be found by clicking here. News outlets are welcome to use the footage for their reporting purposes. The full text of the speech is below. 

Fellow Nebraskans, March First is Statehood Day for us.

This year, we’re celebrating 158 years as a state. As we mark Nebraska’s birthday, it’s also an opportunity to celebrate our contributions to the world. 

Over the years, we have become a hub of innovation—creating the vise grip, Reuben sandwich, center pivot irrigation, Kool-Aid, and much more. Even though we’re just two million people today, we’ve produced a wide variety of talent through the years. Think about great Americans like President Ford, Fred Astaire, Nicholas Sparks, Warren Buffett, Marlon Brando, and let’s not forget Johnny Carson—who grew up in Norfolk. 

Through the years, Nebraska has grown, attracting great opportunities in a wide array of industries. We’re home to Berkshire Hathaway, Peter Kiewit, Kawasaki, Tenaska, Nelnet, Hudl, and Offutt Air Force Base. Organizations like these employ thousands of Nebraskans, build rail cars, build bridges, and deliver innovative software around the world. 

More than anything, Nebraska has grown up as an ag state, built by our farmers and ranchers. Here in the Beef State, we raise the best cattle in the world. We’re the second-largest producer of ethanol—look out, Iowa, we’re coming for you. And we’re the third-largest producer of corn.

Through the years, Nebraskans have built our own unique way of life. We love Runzas, Valentino’s, and Amigos. We founded Arbor Day. We created Dorothy Lynch salad dressing in Columbus. And we brought Cliff Notes to the world.

While many of these things have helped make Nebraska the best place to live, work, and raise a family, at our foundation, it’s the people who have built our state and continue to make it great 158 years later.

Happy birthday, Dear Old Nebraska – here’s to many more years. May God continue to bless the Good Life.