Mark Begich

Again, I do not mean to monopolize your time, but I want other people to be thinking about these answers as I am walking through them with you.

By itself, it is bad.

But I am concerned that FEMA may not be able to handle this at this point.

I say that in a polite way. You will feel that on a regular basis.

I had a note here on how long it takes some of the regulation process to move through FEMA.

I was in the Matanuska Valley recently, which is just outside of Anchorage, and 40 percent of the maps are inaccurate.

In a broader issue, the issue--and I have had a hearing on this and some other discussion regarding mitigation, what is happening with climate change, the impacts it is having on more severe storms, more costly storms, or disasters, I…

I would hate to see that take 8 years.

My frustration is not with you or FEMA. It is with the White House and their ability--or inability.

Thank you very much. I have three standard questions in regards to your nomination, the first question is: Is there anything that you are aware of in your background that might present a conflict of interest with the duties of the office…

I also understand the gaps in productivity and innovation and overall progress that can occur when key positions are vacant.

There is part of the proposal that the Chairman has is to make sure that there's information available to potential passengers or customers.

I want to hear you say it again, is your commitment to make sure that the women who are veterans will also get equal treatment...

I would hope that you would be willing to consider looking at that.

We sought to reshape what we were doing in the VA, so now we have in Alaska 26 agreements with Tribes that deliver health care all over Alaska.

I was happy to support him when he was nominated.

Are you willing to kind of buck the system to say, here is what we need if we are serious about dealing with our veterans...

We are very excited. We are getting about 70 to 80 folks a week signing up in Anchorage on those two elements.

I would be remiss if I did not first brag about my State and invite you to it.

My hope is, based on your experience and what I have read--and I am very supportive of seeing you as the next Secretary--I think it is important that you hone in and be bold about what needs to be done.

I believe this is a testament to the partnerships that our VA has established with Indian Health Services.

Doesn't that seem like something we should be expanding and looking at around the country?

And, you did not need new rules to do that?

Is the money well deserved for our veterans? Absolutely.

We do not have the capacity to fill these.