Political Quotes

“Here is one. It is from the president of the Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, John Hopson, Jr. In terms of equity [racial equity] we understand that the Biden Administration has made promises domestically and internationally to curb this country's emissions and we, as Inupiat people whose homelands are on the front lines of climate change, can understand the need to move in that direction when it comes to address government policies. What we cannot support, however, is that those efforts are [often] made on the backs of indigenous peoples in Alaska without even a conversation, that is not how more equity is achieved. The federal government must allow us time and resources for a thoughtful, deliberate, and sustainable transition of our economy but instead we have seen secretarial and executive actions [from this administration] that threaten our way of [life and] economic sustainability and therefore our [entire] way of life [in America's Arctic]. Another group: Apparently, consultation with all indigenous groups in the country, except for those in Alaska, is this administration's policy. So, bottom line, I need commitments from the Fish and Wildlife Service on these issues: the Russian River land exchange, the King Cove land exchange. More broadly, I need the administration to end its war on Alaska and our working families. I am happy to discuss with the Senator from Montana on these issues and maybe get his help, but for right now, I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER.…”