Byron Dorgan

It appears to me when you talk about 59 percent that were turned down and I believe you indicated 6 percent of those died.

Thank you Senator Dorgan, for your time here today and the diligence serving the American people's interests.

Senator Dorgan, keep the promise that was made and ensure that it is funded adequately and ensure that CHS funds are available so I will not have to write condolences to families who have lost their loved ones unnecessarily.

Well, let me understand that point, though.

Is diabetes a significant problem? Do you have people on dialysis, and, if so, where do they get the dialysis?

How about dialysis? Do you have people from your tribe on dialysis?

My understanding is that $6.7 million that is owed to providers here in this region has grown to nearly $10 million.

I was thinking, as you completed the blessing, that among the things I'm very proud about this Committee is the passage some while ago of the Esther Martinez Language Preservation Act.

This almost seems to me like it would be impossible for someone to make that judgment.

I was able to get $2.5 billion in the Economic Recovery Act, with Senator Reid's help, specifically for Indian Country.

I asked Senator Reid for time to get to the Floor to deal with this Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

We just have to get it fixed.

I expect we'll hear from Catherine Harris, as well. I think a lot of policy-makers would be very surprised to hear much of the testimony about the day-to-day difficulty of people who have very significant health issues.

We asked for a Government Accountability Office to conduct an investigation into the Contract Health Service program.

I'm enormously proud that we were able to do that.

What I don't understand is the criteria by which someone says: We're going to allocate this based on a criteria that seems artificially ignorant.

Right. Ms. Harris wanted to say something, then I'll call on Chairman Sammaripa.

I hope we'll get that addressed. I just think it's very important that we try to find ways to make sure that when someone testifies they say, 'You know what? This service is great because there are people there we know and we work with…

That is not going to happen; it will not happen.

We need to move this, get this done. I think we can get it through the House this time.

So two to three times a week, a two-hour round-trip, plus the time they're on dialysis.

To me, it's almost a replication of genocide.

What has happened over the years in the Aberdeen Area is absolutely unacceptable.

I want this to be the outstanding delivery of good healthcare to those who deserve it, expect it and need it.

It is a mess, and a big problem, and a big bureaucracy that does not want to change.