My staff has searched; they can find no other State in the Union that was ever asked to effectively pay to gain the lands that were promised them when they joined this Union.

What assurances can you give me that we're going to see some forward motion in this in a positive way?

That's not acceptable.

I must tell you that there are two proposals in this request that are, frankly, an insult to the people of Alaska.

The price is a big deal.

Praxair applauds the work of Chairman Ron Wyden (D-WA) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to introduce this important piece of legislation.

this proposal, in my view, is dead on arrival. It's just not going to happen.

It seems to me that the solution really here is to do what the Ramah decision laid out, which is to pay the tribes the full amount of their contract support costs.

I sense a strong commitment to safe and responsible development of the Arctic by the operators and by the regulators.

The trust responsibility that the Federal Government owes to our first peoples is very important to me.

Well, and honor the Supreme Court's decision, but also honor that trust responsibility to our first peoples.

I need to have some assurance going forward that we're going to be able to deal with this.

So the question is, will that be clearly mapped out far enough in advance so that Conoco can advance in 2014, or Shell can advance in 2014?

I guess I need to hear from you that you would agree that it's not the State of Alaska's responsibility to clean up the Federal Government's mess.

I also want to acknowledge the good work of Deputy Secretary David Hayes, and I share the chairman's appreciation for the work that you have provided for the Department of the Interior under former Secretary Salazar.

the outcry from tribes from folks back home on this particular issue is really loud.

This is something that isn't setting well with the people in the State of Alaska, and it clearly doesn't set well with me.

It's good to have you before the subcommittee. This will be, of course, the first of many opportunities to sit down and work together on issues that are clearly important to our Nation, the public lands, clearly important to my State as…

It's been very helpful.

The legislation the Chairman and I have been working on... is one that is good. It is workable.

So do you feel that there is any ambiguity with the Secretary's authority to consider granting new access to the pipeline?

Senator Murkowski and I are determined now to defy the odds and actually get this fixed.

Global shortages that we're anticipating.

You're absolutely right about the urgency of this.

Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Murkowski, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Intel and the Semiconductor Industry Association on the 'Helium Stewardship Act of 2013' (S.783).