Byron Dorgan

I think the market system is really, really wonderful, I mean really terrific.

I think it is short of perhaps what we are going to need to do in a very aggressive way in the future.

I do not think this industry is going to come out of this whole or in any way in a manner that serves all of our country, unless we develop a strategy.

But to suggest that the Administration is not focused on those issues as a major priority would be a complete injustice.

But you know, what I observe is folks in the Administration just watching all of this. I do not see that the Administration has developed an aggressive, robust plan.

I frankly think it is not enough.

I think we do this country a great disservice.

I think cutting energy conservation research is moving in exactly the wrong direction.

Because of this, environmentally sound approaches to the management of fossil energy certainly is essential to our national energy security.

I will do that. Careful what you ask for.

I feel very strongly about tribal colleges, UTTC, about NAWS and some other issues.

What has happened in this budget, at least with respect to this project, is fundamentally wrong.

If we have to tighten our belt, and I believe we do, I believe we are going to have to cut some Federal spending.

We want this funded. We want it funded now.

I mean, there is no excuse for what the Office of Management and Budget has done.

And for anybody to suggest to me that because there are fewer people in North Dakota that it somehow does not quite measure up, I mean, I think that is nuts.

You know, Montana and North Dakota did not rush to Washington to ask if we could host some floods in reservoirs and so on.

But the Federal Government said: 'No, no. We will give you some benefits.' And we said: 'All right. That is a fair trade,' except we got the flood but never quite got all the benefits.

But the distinction here is you are using the word 'program,' not project. The OMB described this program as not meeting certain goals. It made no such judgment about this project. Is that not correct?

Well, let me understand this because when a project is underway or under construction, and the groundbreaking has taken place and, therefore, we have a project under construction, it seems to me you stop that project only if you believe…

The folks in Minot, North Dakota, and northwestern North Dakota are really upset, and that is a mild way of saying it, upset about the proposal not to fund NAWS.

The NAWS program, which is, as I said, under construction, is anything other than a stellar program and the continuation of a promise that was made to the people of North Dakota.

It is not the right choice to de-fund United Tribes Technical College.

It is very important to make the right choices. And I think Indian education is very important.

I think tribal colleges are remarkably successful.