The government closest to the people serves the people best. But too many in Washington stay in Washington, and don’t get back to what I know is “real America.” These people tend to make decisions and policy by listening only to each other. The best way to serve Americans — and to solve problems they have to deal with — is to hear from people directly.
That’s why I invited Commissioner Brendan Carr from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to visit Nebraska last week. The FCC funds key investments in broadband and telephone services for schools, hospitals, businesses, and households. Commissioner Carr regularly travels the country to help solve our nation’s broadband access problems, and this was the third time he has been my guest in our state. I wanted him to hear firsthand from Nebraskans about what’s working — and more importantly, what isn’t.
Our first stop was the Children’s Physicians Clinic in Plattsmouth. The medical providers and technology people there spoke with us about how the FCC’s Rural Health Care (RHC) Program has helped fund the clinic’s telehealth initiative that serves young patients in rural Nebraska. Children’s uses the RHC’s Healthcare Connect Fund to improve its internet access, which makes its rapidly growing telehealth services more reliable.
Our visit with Children’s helped us understand the challenges health care facilities face with telehealth, as well as the strides they are making to incorporate new technologies and enhance remote visit capabilities. We spoke with the staff about the stability of their internet access, the services they provide, and how all of this affects the health of Nebraskans.
While in Plattsmouth, we also visited Cass County’s 911 Call Center, where we heard about how to leverage federal, state, and local resources to improve emergency services communications. Some Nebraskans still have trouble accessing traditional 911 voice services, and we must ensure that we connect these communications deserts. Commissioner Carr and I spoke to Cass County leadership, members of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and representatives from the Nebraska Public Service Commission about what tools and resources can help overcome these challenges.
Finally, we stopped at the Greater Omaha Chamber office for a roundtable on broadband deployment and coordination. Representatives from the Public Service Commission, the Nebraska Broadband Office, and several internet service providers joined us to discuss the progress and difficulties they are seeing in our state.
As we continue building out broadband infrastructure, we want to maximize funding where it’s needed most. A couple years ago, my amendment to create a Broadband Funding Map passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The map, launched by the FCC last year, tracks federal funds designated for broadband deployment across all federal agencies. This information helps us ensure that funding does not overlap and that we are directing funding to the most critical areas.
During the roundtable, we also discussed the BEAD broadband deployment program. The Nebraska Broadband Office updated us on their BEAD planning project, which prioritizes broadband access for unserved locations across the state. The event was a great opportunity to hear from a variety of people involved in expanding internet access from Scottsbluff to Omaha.
Commissioner Carr and I learned about Nebraska’s need for technological growth to promote telehealth services, a more closely coordinated 911 system, and a stronger broadband deployment workforce. This feedback will inform our work in Washington. I’ll continue addressing these issues in the U.S. Senate, and I’m confident Commissioner Carr’s visit to Nebraska will prove fruitful.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.