This bill would help the country and it would also help some of Alaska's most remarkable and courageous citizens.

I thought that was remarkable. I don't know if that's ever happened, Mr. Chairman, before this committee before.

You've had the minority leader of the United States Senate filibuster the defense appropriations bills, not three times, as my colleagues have said--six times in the last year and a half year.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to discuss several bills which are critically important to Alaska's future.

the American people support more military spending.

This is a major policy call that you are usurping the authority of the Congress on this issue.

Only Congress does that, sir.

That is not no net gain. That is not no net loss.

Mitigation under the ESA is very different.

That is a pretty major statutory policy call, isn't it?

I don't believe that is laid out in any statute, any statute by which you get your authority, and that is a policy call that should be made by the Congress of the United States, not by a Federal agency that doesn't have that authority.

I would have to disagree. In my experience, I have yet to find a scenario where additional layers of bureaucracy and requirements from a Federal action agency have increased the efficiency and reduced time and delays and costs related to a…

I want the statute, and I want the language in the statute that says it is the policy of the United States to have no net gain or no net loss.

So you think having another layer of Federal permitting requirements is going to make it more efficient to get projects done?

Why do you think the Corps submitted these comments? It is pretty extraordinary, right?

I mean, this is the sound of the economic decline of the country, in my view.

It doesn't have discretion to make new policy when the policy is stated in the law.

I say to Senator Daines, I again thank you for your leadership. All of my colleagues, the Presiding Officer, you, the other colleagues we have seen on the floor--your leadership has been outstanding, my good friend from Montana. It begs…

We also want to work on your ideas on Federal lands because to me that's where we clearly have a jurisdictional role.

I was actually out on Alaska Dutch Harbor, this is out in the Aleutian chain.

We need to start holding contests for communities and tell them, 'There's a reward in it for you if you figure out a way to expedite wireless deployment.'

I want to thank all of you on the work that you and your staffs did on the Alaska Plan.

I thank Senator Daines and all of my colleagues on the floor today, all of the freshman class. The Presiding Officer is part of it. We have a great new class, 12 new freshmen. As you can see, we are very serious about this topic because…

the delivery of care in rural communities--extreme rural communities.

I want to thank the panel and all the great work that you have done and everybody who contributed to the report.