Mike Dolezal, chief executive officer and general manager of Range Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Forsythe, Mont.), provided remarks September 13 at a rural summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee.
Dolezal was part of a panel discussion, “A Better Deal: Growing the Economy in Rural America,” which focused on public-private investment in infrastructure, energy, and agricultural as part of the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization. Dolezal shared his experience of serving rural communities in Montana—a state where 76% of the population lives outside metro areas, and which is predicted to have the fifth oldest population in the United States by 2030. He also encouraged lawmakers to continue funding RUS telecom and broadband loans and to offset the Universal Service Fund shortfall.
During the event, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D–N.Y.) said, “We are mindful of Rural America,” and he promised that the “same thing FDR did for rural electricity, Democrats today will do for rural broadband.” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D–Wis.) exclaimed, “We need to better invest in rural broadband!”
View the full event video online.
