Deb Fischer on Technology

$21B for infrastructure, with funds from border customs

Fischer pointed to her bill to use $21.4 billion from the $46 billion in fees Customs and Border Patrol collects over five years from freight and passengers entering the country. The border agency only uses about $2 billion. The rest reverts to the general fund. "I don't think increasing the gas tax is sustainable," Fischer said.

Raybould said she would seek to roll back some of the tax breaks oil and drug companies received in the Republican tax cut bill. Revoking breaks for 17 oil and gas companies alone could generate $25 billion, she said. The tax law's corporate and individual income tax breaks for companies and people not paying their fair share should be repealed, she said.

Develop broadband via rural development matching grants

Fischer cited congressional efforts to aid companies willing to serve rural areas, and to help smaller companies buy wireless spectrum from larger wireless companies to sell Internet access. She cited her recent efforts during farm bill negotiations to make sure that broadband development qualified for matching grants under rural development guidelines. She continues to push for money from Universal Service Funds, financed by fees collected from cellphone users, to be spent at the state level to boost broadband deployment in rural and other underserved areas.

Raybould called for more direct federal investment. She said expansion of rural broadband should be treated the way the country once boosted rural electrification--as a public utility.