Brian Schatz

I strongly support NAHASDA reauthorization and share the high priority the leadership and members of this Committee place on addressing the unmet housing needs of Native Americans.

I especially want to thank Senator Cantwell and Senator Barrasso for their strong leadership in introducing and holding a prompt hearing on, S. 1352, a bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA)…

I want to thank the Chair and Vice-Chair for holding this important hearing today to consider three important legislative measures.

I wish to thank Senator Whitehouse for being a leader for so long, for being so forceful and so factual on this issue. I applaud his leadership and look forward to continuing to work together on this important issue. Climate change is…

We do need a national water strategy as well as a national infrastructure strategy.

I think what you're hearing from this committee is that those data bases need to be a little more than internal and a little bit more than a, sort of, a working tool, but a real reporting to Congress so that we can exercise our own…

This is a bipartisan issue. The need to repair our aging infrastructure in water and elsewhere applies to each of our States.

In fact we just witnessed a near disaster right here in the Nation's capital when water in Prince George's County was nearly shut off to tens of thousands of residents during the hottest week of the summer due to an aging water main that…

In 2008 this subcommittee held a similar hearing and we learned then that the maintenance backlog for the Bureau of Reclamation's water facilities alone exceeded $3.2 billion.

Thank you for holding this hearing and continuing to pursue a solution to the nation's aging water infrastructure.

What is the one thing that the Congress ought to be doing to address our aging water infrastructure from your perspective?

This is really a Federal responsibility. This is something we're going to have to appropriate the dollars to help to solve.

Unfortunately this situation hasn't improved much in the last 5 years.

Today the Subcommittee on Water and Power is holding an oversight hearing on aging water infrastructure in the United States.

I think it's an important first step, but bills of rights are generally enforceable and there is an accountability mechanism.

Thank you, Admiral, for appearing before the Committee. And let me say how grateful we all are...

To the extent that it is both profitable and sustainable, it ought to be a model for the rest of the world.

When funding is short, we cannot afford the expenses and inefficiency of lawsuits to manage critical ocean and coastal resources.

I support your nomination. I am anxious to support your speedy confirmation.

The E-Rate program is the cornerstone of bringing technology to schools and libraries.

Educational technology can eventually be delivered within the textbook budget.

Every student should have the opportunity to develop the skills that they need to be competitive in the workplace, no matter where they live or go to school.

The problem with that is that the island of Oahu, which contains Honolulu, the entire island is considered urban, which is just not true, as a matter of common sense.

I have confidence that the FCC and USAC, with the massive amount of data that they have, can examine and look at the metrics and make good, reasonable, reasoned proposals.

As you all know, the State of Hawaii prohibits all forms of gambling. This ban reflects my view and the view of our congressional delegation, and most of the popular will of the state of Hawaii.