Jon Tester

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

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

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

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

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?

I think it's about time to wrap this up. We had a good hearing.

You need to be commended for that as obligated.

Reaching out, getting input is critically important.

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

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

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

the one most basic responsibility of our government and this Committee in particular is to care for the veterans' for the injuries that they have suffered in the defense of this country.

I do not think anyone here expects the rules expanding presumptive eligibility for Agent Orange veterans that the VA issued earlier to be changed.

I think that is the whole point here. I think everybody that earned a benefit should get it, they should get it ASAP.

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.

The GAO has been really focused on the integrity of the National Flood Insurance Program.

Have you been able to determine whether FEMA has worked with communities to help mitigate the economic impact of the new maps?

there are only a couple private companies out there--Chubb, Lloyd's of London, I think there are two more--that will go ahead and even address flood insurance with people.

I think we are all interested in that.

Is it within your purview or do you plan on making recommendations to FEMA in cases like that, how they can deal with communities in a way that does not drive families into bankruptcy?

How does Montana get to be more than a blip?

How does Montana get a fair shot at any sort of investment when, quite honestly, we don't have a population base?

I think this cuts across everybody, rich, poor, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents.

If we don't start investing in infrastructure, we are not going to be a leader in this world for much longer.

If you are looking at developing a mass transit system, you could take a whole pile of money and send it down to Southern California.