We need to stop violent gangs like MS-13 from entering our cities and bringing their violence and evil onto our streets. We need to stop the drug smugglers from devastating our communities and flooding our towns with opioids, like heroin…

I believe that community college is a great place to obtain the education. I think, again, the funding issue is the problem, making the funding available so that continuing education is acceptable as well as curriculum education.

The senior senator from Alaska has spoken publicly to the effect that it is important to have the lease sale as quickly as possible to create new facts on the ground.

Well, it is a really important issue. I will tell you that when I came to Congress 21 years ago...

I think historic preservation is vitally important, especially for tribes. We can't lose that history.

I have asked for a larger amount of money for this committee because of all the unmet needs.

A, we know all the smoke in the air from wildfires is bad.

I urge you to think about the broader economic impacts of some of these rollbacks.

From an economic perspective it may be a little shortsighted.

The answer to that is put out wildfires before they become huge conflagrations, and that is the Forest Service's responsibility.

I urge this committee to see the wisdom in continuing to support these valuable programs.

I would like you to be able to use these grants wherever you think is appropriate. I mean this is your country, it is your money, and you ought to be able to use them where you think it would be most efficiently used.

I appreciate the work you do. It is, like I said, vitally important, and any way we can help, I am more than willing to help.

We are having a tough time getting the Forest Service involved in wildfires.

I can't breathe in August in Idaho about half the time.

I have always taken the position I don't want the Federal government determining what scope of practice is. That is the State's responsibility.

But it doesn't necessarily go back into the forestry program?

Instead of trying to find a way to keep things funded during a government shutdown, we should commit to not shutting down the government. Bad policy. Bad politics. Just stupid.