ICYMI: Sen. Marshall on Bipartisan Efforts to Bring High-Speed Broadband Access To Rural America

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined Special Report with Bret Baier alongside Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) to discuss their bipartisan legislation, the ReConnect Rural America Act, that fights for greater broadband access in rural communities across America.

You may click HERE to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview. 

Highlights From Senator Marshall’s Interview Include: 

On the importance of getting broadband in rural America:

“My mom grew up on a dead end road in the middle of Kansas without electricity until 8th grade. Eventually they got water, eventually they got phone services even. So in today’s rural America, this high speed internet is as important as electricity was then. We made great progress, but this is a job that’s never been finished.”

“This ReConnect program is a program that is working. It’s vitally important, to not just farmers and ranchers but our doctors as well. 

“Whether you’re in Rural Kansas or Rural Vermont it’s still the same challenges.”

“The last Farm Bill passed with 85 of the 100 senators voting. And that’s the challenge before Peter and myself this time around is to get to that 85, but I have a lot of faith in Deb Stabenow and John Boozman, the Committee Chairman and the Ranking Member, I think it has a great chance of passing.”

On conserving money with efficient programs:

“I think the bottom line is we want to do the most efficient programs possible with the dollar. So Senator Welch and I are out in our communities in rural America, Vermont and Kansas, and listening – we’re figuring out what’s working, what’s not working. This reconnect program we talked about earlier is a program that is working; it’s vitally important to not just farmers and ranchers, but also our doctors as well. So I think it is about us working together. Again, whether you’re in rural Kansas or rural Vermont, it’s still the same challenges.”

“Certainly rural broadband, the price of prescription drugs, both in Vermont and in Kansas, the community pharmacists are in many cases, the last healthcare person standing and these pharmacy benefit managers are knocking them off one by one.”

On World Milk Day:

“Dairy is very important to Vermont in Kansas as well – proud to represent the dairy industry everyone should have a glass of milk today. Make it whole milk – it tastes better anyway and prevents osteoporosis.”