Lisa Murkowski

Thank you. My time has expired, Mr. Chairman.

I assume we can add pumped storage stations to the existing hydro facilities. Is that correct, Mr. Mainzer?

Just in terms of necessary infrastructure to accommodate the integration of plug-in vehicles, where there is the charging stations, the electric metering, what do we really need in terms of meeting the infrastructure requirements to fully…

In my opening comments, I mentioned specifically my interest in the pumped hydro and recognized that it has been the workhorse for utility-scale energy storage.

The topic this morning, grid-scale energy storage has the potential to transform the way that we generate and receive electricity.

We don't want to become addicted to imported rare earths in the same way that we have for oil.

I have been expressing concern about our reliance as a Nation on other countries, particularly China, with regards to the rare earth minerals.

I would hope that you would take a very critical look and review as to what the chronic under-funding has been.

I appreciate that and look forward to your visit to Alaska. Thank you.

That is rationing in all-capital letters here.

We are growing our own DHAT graduates who return to their community, high level of commitment to serve.

I would be curious to know what that is.

I truly believe that there has been a greatly stepped up effort to get more dentists out into all aspects of rural America, and I applaud you on that.

So what we are doing is we are not sending people out to a dental school in Oklahoma or Minnesota, and hoping that they come back home. We are growing our own.

This is an issue that would be unacceptable anywhere else, and yet somehow, some way in Indian Country it is just allowed to continue.

To know that, well, if you get sick after June when those Contract Health funds have run out, you are out of luck.

I think one of the things that we have recognized, particularly with children, is that if it is somebody that is in your village, someone that is in your community who is giving you guidance, giving you counsel, telling you, you know, are…

This is rationing in action. This is one of our government-run health care plans, and when you don't fully fund it, as we do not within IHS, we see what happens.

Can you let me ask one quick question of Dr. Tankersley?

I appreciate you bringing that up because I think one of the things that we have recognized, particularly with children, is that if it is somebody that is in your village, someone that is in your community who is giving you guidance…

I appreciate your leadership on this issue and your leadership as the CEO of the Alaska Native Health Board.

We must address the chronic underfunding of contract health services.

It is our ability to get them into these villages on a more than once a year for one week or two week basis.

So you get one week. So your five-year-old child or your 23-year-old young woman or you are an elder, and you have dental care that is provided to you for one week.

Can you define when you say it is meeting with success? How far along are you in the process?