With leadership by Senators Murkowski and Sullivan, the Senate passed S. 825 on November 29, 2017.

I think this is something that we all recognize that we can do a better job with.

I think I said pharmacies, and it is not only pharmacies.

I think certainly for those of us in Alaska, where our neighboring country, our neighboring state, if you will, is Canada.

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO, dated November 15, 2017. The letter provides notice that the Eastern Interior Resource Management Plan--Eastern Interior…

I don't want our veterans to be in that same situation where they feel they can't get that continued care, there is this gap.

So we're talking about a whole host of different alternatives, which I think is great, whether it's chiropractic or acupuncture or equine-assisted therapeutic activities, I'm all over this, I think it's great.

I was recalling that some time ago we were dealing with a VA that was pretty limiting in terms of alternatives that were available for our veterans.

So we go ahead and we'll prescribe the pill, but we're not going to help you kind of manipulate and move that body and help that body recover.

But are we in the same situation that we were several years back where we are limiting the number?

Restoring electricity is the immediate priority. It has been out for far too long, and it is harming the health of both local residents and their economy.

I think we need to be looking at this going forward with a few things in mind: making the grid more resilient to future weather events.

I think that there is broad agreement. I have talked with colleagues in the other body and the other side of the aisle here.

I think it is important to recognize that there are parts of ANWR that are designated as wilderness.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.

If that were the case, we would not have had a public hearing for five hours, televised, for all the world to see.

We are not asking to develop all of the 1002 Area, but instead we are asking for 2,000 acres.

The Committee will come to order.

I want a country that is strong, and a country can only be strong if we are energy independent.

We know full well that opening the 1002 Area is not an immediate cure.

As an Alaskan, I am offended by that.

It is important to put this in context in terms of the areas that we are talking about.

We love our state. We respect the land. We would never risk its future for the sake of development.

The technology has changed. Our ability to access and understand the science and the data and the research that we know...

We will not harm the caribou who move through the area; we will not harm the polar bears.