I refer to the Department of the Interior and the Secretary's role as being effectively one as landlords.

We cannot give up on this region. We cannot give up on a region that has opportunity and has potential, but is being denied because of policies from our own Federal Government.

The only thing that is standing in the way is our own Federal Government's decision to place a higher value on the birds than it does on the health and safety of my State's citizens.

We are not done with this issue.

this has been almost a lifetime of struggling to get this short connector road.

Is there anything separate for VBCs, for the village built clinics?

The Village Built Clinic Program that really helps keep our health clinic doors open.

I cannot convey in words adequate to describe the frustration, the anger, the sadness with which I received that decision.

This road is nonnegotiable, that the health and safety of the people of King Cove is nonnegotiable.

Secretary Jewell, just a question, one question on the King Cove road issue, when you issued your release in December, you stated that the Department's commitment to assist in identifying and evaluating options would improve access to…

Just for planning purposes, knowing what the rules of the road are is critically important.

I will do everything, everything in my power for as long as I am here, to enable the people of King Cove to receive proper emergency access that the rest of us take for granted.

I will not get over this issue. I am also unwilling to allow your Department to do nothing to help the Alaskans that it has promised to assist.

I appreciate the Senator's question about assessing the repair needs of Bureau of Reclamation facilities.

But if we have a process that does not allow for certainty along the way, it is pretty difficult to entice anybody to come in and put the dollars up front that would allow for a project, allow for economic development within the region…

And again, a preemptive veto is--this would be first ever.

I think it is something that the administration is going to have to look at in terms of its commitment to working with those who have leases in the Arctic.

I have mentioned several times here this morning my concern for the limitations that we place on our ability to move out our renewable energy resources.

Are you planning to hold any meetings in Alaska on the impact of the rule?

What I know is not complete, is that these regulations have not been released, so as Shell is trying to determine how they do proceed, they need some certainty.

Are you saying that contained within your fiscal year 2015 budget, you think you have funding flexibility with this inflation factor or not?

I think it is absolutely critical that there be a renewable energy plan that not only incorporates our opportunity and potential for hydropower, but also the geothermal resources that we have there.

It is not necessarily taking it from another budget category where we are arm wrestling with somebody else?

We have been on the receiving end of what we believe to be a regulatory onslaught that threatens our economy.

I have described this as a potential showstopper for new development in Alaska.