Okay. So this bill will fix that legal authority, is that correct?

This significant piece of legislation aims to prevent and control severe and life-threatening zoonotic diseases.

This is a commonsense piece of legislation that ensures the Federal Government lives up to its trust obligations while providing a humane, non-lethal option for animal population control.

But we also know that you have to have the legal authority first. So that is what we are trying to do here.

So that is why, this is the question. Is that why, then, IHS had previously denied the request by both, well, there were two tribal health organizations in Alaska, at YKHC and Maniilaq, when they sought to add veterinary spay and neuter…

I have introduced S. 4365 because Alaska Native children experience the highest incidences of hospitalization from dog attacks than any other group in the Nation, and we need to deal with it.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I am out of time.

But we also know that you have to have the legal authority first. So that is what we are trying to do here.

Statement of Senator Murkowski

So that is why, this is the question. Is that why, then, IHS had previously denied the request by both, well, there were two tribal health organizations in Alaska, at YKHC and Maniilaq, when they sought to add veterinary spay and neuter…

But if in fact you have costs that could average, as I understand, around $20,000 per person plus lost wages plus travel costs if folks have to fly, then that is also a balancing factor if that individual is being treated through IHS…

I have introduced S. 4365 because Alaska Native children experience the highest incidences of hospitalization from dog attacks than any other group in the Nation, and we need to deal with it.

But if in fact you have costs that could average, as I understand, around $20,000 per person plus lost wages plus travel costs if folks have to fly, then that is also a balancing factor if that individual is being treated through IHS…

This significant piece of legislation aims to prevent and control severe and life-threatening zoonotic diseases.

Okay. So this bill will fix that legal authority, is that correct?

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I am out of time.

This significant piece of legislation aims to prevent and control severe and life-threatening zoonotic diseases.

Unfortunately, the median income of American Indian Alaska Native families is around $48,000. 26 percent of American Indian Alaska Native people make less than $500 a week.

I am the Vice Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs committee, and we have been focused and concerned about the socio-economic conditions of American Indian, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiian children and families.

Thank you again, Sen Murkowski for introducing this bill that will address this important issue, improve public health and the quality of life for so many tribal communities.

Years of work focused on what limited access to education, economic opportunities, health care resources, higher rates of poverty--what that means for so many of our indigenous peoples and the children as they are growing up.

But if in fact you have costs that could average, as I understand, around $20,000 per person plus lost wages plus travel costs if folks have to fly, then that is also a balancing factor if that individual is being treated through IHS…

This is a commonsense piece of legislation that ensures the Federal Government lives up to its trust obligations while providing a humane, non-lethal option for animal population control.

I have introduced S. 4365 because Alaska Native children experience the highest incidences of hospitalization from dog attacks than any other group in the Nation, and we need to deal with it.

It has to be a long term strategy that we need to consider developing childcare as a career to ensure that we have--we have trained, credible, available, and hopefully affordable childcare providers for our kids.