We have added over 100 employees, including two docs, at the CBOC in the Mat-Su Valley.

I commend the administration for its focus on that.

The games occur on the floor of the Senate, where this administration's nominees have been delayed in ways that have been unfortunately historic.

Probably one of the best ways to deal with homelessness is grow the economy, and I think the administration deserves credit and a lot of kudos on that.

Those games do not occur on this Committee.

every week, I try to come down to the floor and talk a little bit about my State and do a little bit of bragging in what we call our ``Alaskan of the Week'' series. Now, there is a lot to talk about with regard to Alaska. We would love for…

for the past year or so, I have been coming to the floor nearly every week, and I know the Presiding Officer looks at this as possibly his favorite time of the week because he gets to hear a lot of these ``Alaskan of the Week'' speeches. I…

as we all know, more and more brave women are speaking out about the abuse that has been reported in the papers--abuse by the powerful, in many cases. I want to say at the outset that the country applauds these women for their courage and…

I would like to spend a few moments talking about why my colleagues and why the American people should be supportive of this very important legislation, historic legislation, that we are debating on the Senate floor. It is particularly…

I rise today to commend this body. My colleagues, every single Senator, voted in unanimous consent to move forward on the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law just this week by President Trump. In particular, I…

once a week when we are in session, I come to the floor to recognize a person or group of people in my great State of Alaska who make it very special. We call them our Alaskan of the Week. Alaska is beautiful, it is big, and it is special…

Congress's attempts to defund the program...believes that if this kind of process is going to go forward, it should have a statutory basis.

Alaskans have a symbiotic relationship with their oceans and marine life, and more so than any other state, rely on the health and sustainability of our oceans and the resources within them.

Congress recognized the problematic nature of the National Ocean Policy when similar attempts and schemes in legislation failed to advance in four consecutive Congresses under both Democrat and Republican majorities.

You can submit anything about that for the record. And if you don't have anything positive, that's all I'm going to ask for.

With a process that's very hard to understand.

The Executive order for the National Ocean Policy says it's voluntary marine planning, that's a quote.

You're the original stakeholders, and I think sometimes that's forgotten with regard to the men and women and their families who have been fishing our oceans for generations.

Thank you, Senator Blumenthal.

As one of Alaska's Senators, I care deeply about America's oceans and marine resources.

Right. Thank you. Excellent.

Even if it's the greatest thing in the world, you can't do it without Congress designating that.

I have--I could contact one of your staffers, but there are a lot of things that would wish that they would go off the shelf to do it because you don't--you don't set your fields on fire and you don't destroy your traditional fishing…

That's a very good point, and that's why I think having Mr. Keppen here is powerful.

Everyone wants to do that. Everyone on this Committee wants to do that.