You know that is not right. They know that is not right.

Well, I really appreciate you saying that, because that is what folks are relying on.

Well, and Madam Secretary, if I may, because I was at that roundtable with Secretary McDonough.

I had mentioned in my last question there, Chief, the Southeast Alaska Sustainable Strategy, $25 million spent so far and, it is always described as quote, 'An initial investment'.

So do you think then that we need to address this language that limits it to these Federal lands that are either bordering or adjacent to, because it is not just Alaska, it would be throughout the Lower 48, where you have got some…

I am glad you heard it directly. I am glad that you were impacted by it.

I think that we can make a real difference for the State of Alaska, and we can make a real difference across the country.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I have already set up a team internally to start looking at how we might address that.

I hope we are able to reconcile that. Let us know if we can be helpful.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

This is an environmental injustice that we have discussed, it is an environmental injustice caused by the Federal Government.

It is nice to have Senator Fischer on.

Ensuring adequate funding for PL280 states to address the inequities among Tribal courts remains a top concern of mine.

I think we recognize that there is so much, so much that has to be done in this area.

As you well know we have a public safety issue in the State of Alaska, some have described it as a crisis.

It is good to hear the Director speak so highly of the CHAP Program and the benefit that it can provide.

I am glad you heard it directly. I am glad that you were impacted by it.

But all they talked about was the injustice that they felt in having been denied their native allotment.

GLRI funds have been effectively deployed to protect safe clean drinking water supplies, clean up toxic sites, protect wetlands and shorelines, hold off invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, and safeguard aquatic resources.

I appreciate that. But our situation here is, at the end of 2022, the unobligated balance for IHS was $6 billion.

I would hope that you would agree that this proposed move is a reorganization that is defined by the Committee's reprogramming guidelines, and so therefore would be subject to Appropriations' Committee approval.

When I talk to communities in my state, they very much want to take on PFAS, but they are concerned about national regulations, and how they could, potentially, amount to new unfunded mandates.

Ensuring adequate funding for PL280 states to address the inequities among Tribal courts remains a top concern of mine.

Thank you Chairman Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski, and Members of the subcommittee for your leadership to reduce pollution in rivers, improve clean water access, safeguard public drinking water supplies.