Mark Begich

Yet, capping the Macondo well was not the end of this tragedy.

When the well was capped, the people of the Gulf Coast and people across the country... were finally able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Hearing held on July 20, 2011

Specifically, we ask the committee to: (1) acknowledge the importance of educational innovation by endorsing initiatives like the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Education (ARPA-ED) and the aforementioned Investing in Innovation…

Alaska's veterans need additional mental health services.

Rural veterans are a major concern in my state and across the country.

Does that make sense? It's kind of like what we're doing on the military side, it's always the international BRAC, the domestic BRAC, we're always, kind of, turning.

Because some of these things are so darn old that, you know, you're going to be floating one day, and it's not going to be powered by anything other than, hopefully, a sail, you know.

The opportunity up there, is unbelievable from the oil and gas, to mineral, the fishing, transportation components

We have zero capability to respond in the Arctic right now. And we've got to do better than that.

We have no place to put people up there. We have no hangers for aircraft. We have no piers, no Coast Guard boats.

What keeps me awake at night--an oil spill, a collision. A ship sinking in the Arctic keeps me awake at night.

We need a deepwater port up there--not only for the industry, but for the Coast Guard, and oil spill technology.

Would a multi-year authorization on capitalization be helpful to get these longer-term kind of agreements?

If we don't know what that end is, we don't know if we're really fully, if we're at 70 percent of your mission, 60 percent, 80 percent.

Because I really, I think that's, for us it's important to see that.

Yes, sir. I certainly do.

You understand what I'm asking for.

But, just in case, I'll just echo it again.

The question is, utilizing that $5 million to get it going, whatever that pathway is, is really of a high value.

I think the High Latitude Study will show a need for a range of icebreakers.

I think minimum is the right word--at least two operational, large-scale icebreakers, at minimum.

My gut tells me it's not worth the money; we should put that into what we know.

If feel uncomfortable answering, just tell me.

I want to let you know, in the state legislature in Alaska, they've allocated I think just shy of $2 million.