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

IHS requested $10 million to conduct a nationwide analysis to determine the cost funding for O&M for tribes.

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.

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 I don't want to be in a position where we have finally answered people's prayers by saying, you are going to get all this Federal money, there is a lot in the pipeline, but then we just can't stuff it into the limited capacity pie that…

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.

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

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

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.

I know that certainly factors into everything that we are trying to do in Alaska, because of course, everything needs to be flown up, it is either flown up or barged in the case of Alaska or Hawaii.

IHS requested $10 million to conduct a nationwide analysis to determine the cost funding for O&M for tribes.

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

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.

Yes, we have been learning a lot, I think just like anybody else who is doing any construction these days, that prices have changed, we are confronting supply challenges just to complete anything or with workforce.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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