Would you work with me to ensure these two communities do not fall through the cracks by granting a waiver making them eligible for rural development assistance?

sequester hurts these rural communities, and we need to get back to adequate funding for these important programs.

We currently have many low-income communities near the United States-Mexico border, known as colonias, that have an urgent need for water infrastructure.

It's critically important that we have strong support for water and wastewater disposal grant programs.

I think you have done an excellent job as Ag Secretary.

I look forward to discussing your proposal to authorize mandatory funding for the program starting in 2017.

I think it is important when we make comparisons, and I made the comparison about $3,100 a year I think approximately per patient.

We have to honor that commitment. Support for the budget of the Indian Health Service helps ensure that we do that.

Can you tell us more about the Service's efforts to work with tribes to improve contract support cost budget estimates in 2016 and going forward?

Now, you mentioned Medicare-like rates, and I have a question there.

Thank you, Chairman Murkowski.

We need to close this gap, and we need to close it now.

This is a good budget request, but it is worth noting that it is only a downpayment on the needs in Indian country.

I do not think these are the average patients. I think they have a higher disease burden.

I think it is one of the things that under IGRA and ensuring IGRA compliance that is really important that you do.

We just simply cannot have a 21st-century space platform when we are operating out of 1960s vintage buildings.

I would say that your efforts ensured that we can pursue energy independence, the jobs that come with it.

This is an issue that has drug on far too long.