If the Government supports this new path, if it helps to build these concentrations of electrification that are so crucial to jumpstarting a new, national transportation system, then that is a game changer.

. . . I have always insisted, I am not interested in transferring the problems from one region of our state to another.

The issue of this hearing was the State's plan for this outlet. In my judgment the outlet will run.

What I'm very interested in doing is making certain that water retention is considered up and down the Valley for farms and small towns beyond the three major population centers.

Those in Devils Lake area feel that as much water as you can get out as quickly as possible is the way to go, and then we have the concerns downstream.

We've spent a boatload of money, a lot of money, and have been involved all of the years...

It was about the need to get water out, but also balancing that with water quality downstream.

One of the interests of this subcommittee, because we spend a lot of money on water issues around the country, is where will that funding come from?

I don't think anybody in this room believes or understands that this outlet that exists is not going to release some water.

Senator Dorgan assisted in securing two $400,000 appropriations for a total of $800,000.

I can't speak for those people, but now they would maybe fatalistically accept that that was the right plan.

I understand but, you know, as I said it was just about 15 months ago that I stuck $90 million in to increase that levee.