Jon Tester

What are we doing? What are we actually doing to be more effective with the programs that we have?

Our broadband is not where it needs to be.

I think the conservation is important. I think it's all important. It just depends on how it can be manipulated, quite frankly.

I have seen a mass exodus off the land. A mass exodus.

I don't think Big Sandy, Montana, is any different than any small town in Iowa as far as depopulation.

I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for the job that you have done over 6 years now in this position.

I want you to be able to do your job, but I also want you to be able to do it in a way that meets the needs of the consumer and meets the needs of the business community out there, too.

Very important. I want to touch on one thing, if you want to talk parochial, we will talk really parochial.

I do not know that you can tell somebody that they can or cannot put an ingredient into food or into cosmetics or into medicine unless you know what it is going to do.

Food is pretty damn important, okay.

One of the reasons I want to give you money is to make sure that those inspectors are trained and make sure there is the kind of outreach that is going on.

The point I am going to get to is you have a set of rules.

I wish you the best.

Is it helping keeping people in rural America, or is it encouraging more consolidation and people to move out of rural America?

Mental illness in Indian country. We have heard that local service centers are trying to incorporate, from your testimony, mental health screenings and for medical visits, checkups, wellness care.

When I talk to Indian country, I can tell you that, and it really has not changed much in the last 8 years. The big concern is healthcare, and it is still the big concern.

I had a hearing in Billings, Montana, I do not know, eight or 9 months ago, 10 months ago. And it was apparent that a lot of the local providers were not utilizing third party billing, and there was a lot--I mean a lot--of dollars being…

I think it is important with our trust responsibilities we have to Indian country.

Communication is critical.

The goal is you are serving the same population, Native Americans serve at a higher rate than any other minority in the Services, and so you are serving the same population, and the goal is to make the money run further for other folks.

I look forward to working with everybody on this subcommittee, especially, Madam Chairwoman, to get sequester relief for Indian tribes.

I do look forward to working with you, Mr. Chairman, to move Mr. Chaudhuri out as quickly as possible for confirmation.

Indian gaming is incredibly important to Indian country. We have seen tremendous growth since 1988, providing jobs, providing funding for essential services.

We need a good person in this position, someone who exhibits good leadership.

We want the budget to match the need. I think that is going to be the challenge for this subcommittee.