This is about making sure that a parent in Indian Country can turn on the tap and not fear they will get their child sick.

This hearing will come to order.

We have a moral responsibility to continue to serve Native American Tribes who were forcibly displaced from their homelands.

It only makes sense for the Federal Government to financially support the longer term viability of significant initial investments.

I think you have given some indicators to my following question, but I want to ask it for the record.

Different than access and quality, affordability.

So yes or no, would there be value in establishing that?

This is really, in my opinion, an interim State solution to what is fundamentally a Federal problem and responsibility.

It only makes sense for the Federal Government to financially support the longer term viability of significant initial investments.

Absolutely, it is needed.

Thanks to the work of the bipartisan members of this Committee, Congress provided over $4 billion for tribal sanitation over the next 5 years via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

We want folks to enter into this career field. And if there are too many barriers in place, which I think they are, maybe we should look at it again.