Sen. Deb Fischer, Courtesy
WASHINGTON D.C. — Incumbent Deb Fischer is running to maintain her seat in the U.S. Senate as the general election approaches in November.
Fischer has served in the U.S. Senate in 2013 and has been the senior Nebraska Senator in 2015 after Mike Johanns retired. Fischer had previously represented the 43rd District in the Nebraska Legislature for two terms.
She is a member of six Senate committees including Armed Forces, Appropriations, Commerce, Agriculture, etc.
Fischer became the third female U.S. Senator in Nebraska’s history, and the first since 1954.
In 2024, she is seeking reelection and faces Dan Osborn, an independent candidate.
When asked why she is seeking reelection, Fischer said she wants to continue working with Nebraskans and to fight for them in Washington for the issues that matter to them.
Outside of the national defense, one of the responsibilities of a federal government, Fischer said she has a strong interest in infrastructure, whether that is roads, bridges, broadband expansion, waterways, transmission lines, etc.
Fischer said she also wants to provide opportunities for families in the state to be successful, that way the state itself can thrive.
Fischer said she is an advocate for a limited federal government, one that sets priorities and decide on their core duties, one being national security, be it abroad or as Fischer mentioned the southern border with Mexico.
She said “chaos,” is occurring at the border and noted she voted no on the recent bill that was advertised as a border security bill, but Fischer said it was an “immigration bill” that to her, did nothing to secure the border.
Fischer said she seeks a return to the border polices that were in place under the presidency of Donald Trump.
On a more local level, Fischer said she wants to see more funds be put toward Offutt Air Force Base for new airfields.
More generally, Fischer said she wants to see more tax dollars returned to Nebraska, so it can be used in local communities. She noted she always hears about property taxes and said that this return of tax dollars to the state could help this issue.
When asked what guides her decision making, Fischer said it’s important for her to get out and listen to Nebraskans and to hear about what they support or what their concerns are.
During the Senate recess in August, Fischer was on the road in Nebraska and visited over 30 communities, including Kearney.
Fischer said she is then responsible for going to Washington D.C. and working with her colleagues in the Senate to craft legislation to provide solutions for the issues that Nebraskans and Americans are facing.
Fischer has secured $4 million for Nebraska water resource improvement projects and $4 million for state law enforcement projects.
Fischer said that wastewater treatment and its infrastructure are among the higher costs to small and large municipalities alike. She said bringing tax dollars back to Nebraska is highly important.
She added that the money going to law enforcement will help to purchase radios, body cameras, emergency communications equipment and drug and violent crime task forces.
Locally, the Minden Police Department received $292,000 for upgrades to radio communications equipment due to Fischer’s work on the Appropriations Committee.
In conclusion, Fischer said that she considers it an honor to be able to serve the people of Nebraska and she wants to continue to work with them and fight for them in Washington D.C. and the Senate.
Editor’s Note: Deb Fischer appeared on 1340 KGFW and this article was written using information provided during that interview. The full interview can be found here.
