One of the most important parts of my job is ensuring that federal regulators in Washington understand Nebraska’s unique needs. This past week, I made sure a key federal decision-maker got to hear these needs firsthand.
I was proud to welcome Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Olivia Trusty to the Good Life for a tour that took us from Offutt Air Force Base to Boys Town to Lincoln. We even hosted a roundtable with some of our state’s most integral telecommunications leaders.
The FCC is the federal agency that regulates how Americans communicate, including by radio, television, telephone, satellite, and cable. In sum, the FCC’s decisions have real consequences for Nebraskans in every corner of our state.
Our first stop was Offutt Air Force Base, home to U.S. Strategic Command, where I introduced Commissioner Trusty to Admiral Richard Correll, STRATCOM’s commander, and Major General AnnMarie Anthony, director of STRATCOM’s Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center. We discussed how critical the electromagnetic spectrum is for our service members to carry out their duties and defend our nation. The intersection of communications infrastructure and national security is playing out right here in our backyard, and it was important for Commissioner Trusty to see that up close.
From there, we headed to Boys Town, joined by representatives from Cox Communications. The conversation there centered on how we can meet youth where they are, including through texting and connecting through new technologies. We also discussed the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which Boys Town is connected to and contributes to. Back in 2020, I cosponsored the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which designated 988 as the universal telephone number for the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system. I was proud to see this important legislation become law. I am constantly impressed by how Boys Town partners with all levels of government to get vulnerable individuals the help they need so quickly.
Next, we traveled to Lincoln for a roundtable with leaders from the Public Service Commission and the Nebraska Telecommunications Association, which represents our state’s top telecom companies. The discussion was candid and wide-ranging — touching on reforming the Universal Service Fund, which helps keep rural phone and internet service affordable; broadband mapping accuracy; and the challenges facing smaller rural carriers trying to serve communities that larger providers often overlook. These are daily issues for many Nebraska families, and I was glad that Commissioner Trusty could hear directly from the people living and working with these realities.
We wrapped up at the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency on the Lincoln Air National Guard Base, where Lt. Governor Joe Kelley joined us alongside representatives from the Nebraska State Patrol, the Nebraska Department of Transportation, and other important stakeholders. Our conversation was especially timely, given that Nebraska had just been hit hard by devastating wildfires this spring.
As chair of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, overseeing the FCC is part of my job. A large part of conducting oversight involves making sure the people writing the rules in Washington understand what life looks like outside of the capital. For Nebraska, this means understanding that our military installations depend on secure communications, our rural communities need reliable broadband, and our families in remote areas need to be able to pick up the phone and reach someone in case of an emergency.
I’ll keep making that case and continue bringing the right people to Nebraska to see it for themselves.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.