Get to know the U.S. Senate candidates: Sen. Deb Fischer vs Dan Osborn
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - One of Nebraska’s closely watched races this election is the U.S. Senate contest between Republican Deb Fischer and Independent Dan Osborn.
A key issue in the campaign is immigration and border security. In May, Fischer voted against a proposed border bill, drawing criticism from Osborn.
Fischer said she had her reasons to vote ‘no’ on the border bill.
“It was not a border security bill, it did not provide funding for a border wall, it did not end catch and release,” Fischer said. “It did not put any kind of restrictions on the Biden Administration and their misuse of the parole policy that we have. And it didn’t address remain in Mexico, that was an immigration reform bill.”
Osborn argues the border situation has gone unaddressed for too long.
“This isn’t a new issue, I was watching a debate that came across my feed between Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, they were talking about the border security and immigration the same way we’re talking about it today,” Osborn said. “Fishers had 12 years to do something about it and they’ve done nothing. That’s where I get frustrated, because without a border we don’t have a country.”
Both candidates have ideas of how to improve the economy. Osborn said the government must first take a look at how federal departments are spending their money.
“I’d like to see our departments pass federal audits. For example, the Department of Defense has never passed a federal audit, ever, and they have trillions of dollars of unaccounted for assets that add billions to it every day, that adds to the national debt,” Osborn said. “I’m not suggesting we cut defense spending, especially in the time of the way our globe is right now, but certainly they can pass audits.”
Fischer said she wants to look at spending on energy and see if there is a way to save there.
“Nebraskans are being squeezed, whether it’s on the price of groceries, rent, gas, everything,” Fischer said. “We can address that, first of all, by making the United States energy independent again. That’s one way we can do that, we can produce all the energy we need here for our own use in the United States, and we can also export it.”
Fischer said voters should fill in the bubble by her name because of her track record.
“I want to continue working with Nebraskans to find solutions, to be effective, I’ve been one of the most effective Senators in the United States Senate, and I humbly ask for their votes so I can go back to the Senate and continue to fight for them,” Fischer said.
Osborn said voters should consider him because he wants to work for the people to solve problems.
“We could go on and on and on about class one railroads or big pharma, but I’m not taking their money, I’m not going to do their bidding,” Osborn said. “I’m not going to be beholden to a party boss. I want to work for the people of Nebraska, the way the founders of our country intended it to be, a government by and for the people.”
A recent poll from the New York Times and Siena College shows this race is close as Osborn only trails Fischer by two percentage points.
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