Jon Tester

We feel that it's about time that the United States Government rebuilt Native America. It's only right.

I'd like to call this Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Field Hearing on tribal transportation to order.

I appreciate your leadership on the Indian Affairs Committee.

I would not support your actions in introducing it if you did not first make a number of key changes.

The legislative process isn't such where everybody wins.

I think it's critically important we have collaboration.

I would just say that I encourage you to fill that position. I think it's really important as far as conduit goes.

I think the Recovery Act is a major success story in Indian country.

I think it's critically important... that you have tribal consultations from the folks that are living it every day.

Do you have an outreach method that you utilize to reach out to tribes in both rural and urban America to make sure that the Highway Bill meets the needs once we get to the floor of the Senate or the Committee?

You need to be commended for that as obligated.

Thank you, Jefferson. We'll start out with you, Larry.

Our transportation infrastructure is critical to economic development, creating jobs and improving the lives of everybody who lives in Indian country.

The situation is getting better. Our hearing today is progress. But we have more work to do, much more work to do.

Transportation is very important for the Indian people. It directly affects health, safety and economic matters including jobs and the ability to attract businesses.

The IRR formula that the BIA is using, and that the Federal Land Highway Office is supporting, is now broken.

Fatalities throughout the country were decreasing at 2.2 percent and increasing in Indian country by 52 percent.

Overall, do you have any idea of how many jobs were either saved or created by those dollars?

I would contend once again that if we're going to keep this system the way it is, it's unfair, inaccuracies being reported and not being corrected, then change the name from IRR to something else, State Highway Fund or Extra County Fund…

Reaching out, getting input is critically important.

How do you plan to include tribes and getting their perspective as far as that Highway Bill when it comes up?

That would be great. LeRoy.

The Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have laid out a vision for forests in the United States.

Well, I would just say that if these figures are correct, as I would expect, I believe you would do your best to try to reduce that administrative overhead to get those benefits for the soldiers.

I also believe it is important that the process for determining service connections prevents or limits at a minimum fraudulent claims from being made.