Lisa Murkowski

It should shock us as Alaskans. It should shock us as Americans that basic, basic matters like safe water, drinking water, basic sanitation needs are still so unmet in so many places.

According to the IHS, one in ten Native Americans lacks access to clean water or indoor plumbing.

In Alaska, roughly 20 percent of Native homes don't have an adequate supply of clean water or a connection to a sewer system.

The federal government has a trust responsibility to protect the water rights of Native peoples.

I think this is something we all need to be working on.

We are all watching what is happening with higher prices of oil and what that means for fuel costs.

We can either fund another study or we can make an investment to protect our babies and to keep them in communities, our communities, where we belong.

I don't think anybody feels like we need to have another study to know that we have a very extensive list when it comes to O&M needs.

Given what you know of the operation and maintenance needs in Alaska villages today, there are a couple of questions here for you.

I have been a co-sponsor of Senator Bennet's resolution that clarifies and affirms that the United States' trust responsibility is to ensure water access.

Alaskans living in communities without access to running water are five times more likely to be hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infections.

If we could finish a project in three years, we would be happy. It just doesn't happen when your building season is really like three months long.

We absolutely agree that operation and maintenance funds are necessary to ensure that sanitation facilities projects can remain functional for their entire usable life.

This is an issue we probably want to come back to and have a discussion with the Assistant Secretary as well.

It should shock us as Alaskans. It should shock us as Americans that basic, basic matters like safe water, drinking water, basic sanitation needs are still so unmet in so many places.

But as we know, unfortunately, it is not the case for far too many of our Native communities.

The Infrastructure Bill restricts program support funding to Federal activities, which means the tribes that operate there, the projects directly, can't access this.

According to the IHS, one in ten Native Americans lacks access to clean water or indoor plumbing.

We are seeing some improvement, we are starting to see some gains, connecting homes to sewer and water treatment systems in villages like Akiachak and Stebbins.

In Alaska, roughly 20 percent of Native homes don't have an adequate supply of clean water or a connection to a sewer system.

I join my colleague in supporting this very important reauthorization, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, NAHASDA. This has been 10 years in the making. This has seen process, this has seen input, this has…

It was a really offensive statement by probably somebody who was not very well informed.

This is not that scary; it can be done.

I would like to extend sincerest gratitude to Senator Schatz and Senator Murkowski for the opportunity to testify today.

But we know we need to do so much more here. Hunger and poverty in Indian Country are significant reasons why the Farm Bill matters.