On Tuesday, November 18 students from Kearney, Ord, and Pleasanton video conferenced with Senator Chuck Hagel.  This video conference was the first such connection to schools from the new Senate video conference center in Washington.

As this is a lame duck session and because Senator Hagel did not run for re-election, Senator Hagel is in his last months of legislative action.  Even as a lame duck senator, Senator Hagel said that the legislative action is heavy with emphasis on the economy and particularily solutions for the auto industry.

During a question and answer period, students touched upon topics such as equity versus efficiency, the impact of the bailout, specifics of the auto industry bailout, and would he be interested in being part of President-Elect Obama's cabinet (no comment).

Steve Cherry, social science instructor at Kearney Public Schools, was the initiator of the conference.