I am hoping that you are going to be able to provide us a little bit more of a plan.

During the past several years, lengthy permitting delays have become the rule, rather than the exception.

It is my hope that we can continue our bipartisan tradition to prioritize the needs of Native communities.

I think we have made upholding the Federal Government's trust responsibility a bipartisan priority, and it needs to continue to be so.

EPA's mismanagement has led to elevated PM 2.5 emissions even though Congress has provided almost $100 million for wood stove changeouts.

I hope that you and your team will be able to explore ways in which CDS projects can be awarded faster.

I appreciate that. Again, we certainly, I am certainly hearing from the Native leaders about the need to prioritize Tribal participation within the conservation of the Cooperative Management.

A lack of promises made and promises unfulfilled. A little bit of a pulling the rug out from underneath us.

I think that we can make a real difference for the State of Alaska, and we can make a real difference across the country.

I appreciate that. But our situation here is, at the end of 2022, the unobligated balance for IHS was $6 billion.

It ought to not be this hard.

I believe the Agency is engaging in regulatory overreach with WOTUS, which the Senate has expressed its disapproval on.

The hope is that we can reach agreement on the contours of the exchange in the coming year.

I have suggested, and would strongly encourage EPA to explore some creative solutions to expedite these project awards.

I am going to be up in Fairbanks this weekend, and I can tell you this is going to be a hot, hot, hot topic there.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Assistant Secretary, we have had a conversation in other committees as well, about the budget proposal to shift the Office of Subsistence Management, OSM, from Fish and Wildlife to BIA.

As you well know we have a public safety issue in the State of Alaska, some have described it as a crisis.

Madam Secretary, let's begin with the first part of my opening statement, which was reference to the people of King Cove.