Byron Dorgan

But, the one thing that seems to me to stand out with respect to the FAA is that generally it's very, very hard to meet time deadlines.

So, what the 119th is saying is that this box of 35 by 45 miles is what is, what they believe is necessary for training, is that correct?

I am grateful for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss an issue of true National Security.

I look forward to working with the FAA, the Air National Guard, and our political leadership to enable RPA operations now and into the future.

I must first express my personal thanks and that of both my Air Force Secretary Donnelly and Chief Schwartz, to you and your staffs for your unwavering support of the basing of Global Hawk and Predator in North Dakota.

We need to solve this, and it's going to require, I think, some real focus to do so

I would not have had a hearing had I felt that we were on track

The University of North Dakota Center for Aerospace Science is designated by law and in the DOD descriptions as the center for UAV research.

Grand Forks and this region of North Dakota is slated to become a major UAV center.

This is a formal hearing of the Commerce Committee of the U.S. Senate.

No one is pushing the FAA to do something that would diminish, in any way, safety in our Nation's airspace--that's not the point.

The airspace is somewhat of a national treasure, as being part of the FAA, our job is to be stewards of that.

Not enough progress has been made, and the question is, how will more progress be made in the future

This really is an excellent location for perfecting and developing the rules and procedures necessary to allow unmanned aircraft to operate routinely in the national air space beside manned aircraft.

I will not let this issue go until our words are heard and action's taken.

The proposal on the Economic Recovery Act had no money for American Indians. Zero.

We have passed for the first time in I think 18 years the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, we've passed the Tribal Law and Order Act, we have reauthorized the Indian Housing Act.

Thank you for being a lifelong friend of American Indian people.

We've got to meet them.

We've requested, Senator Franken and I, an increase that would bring the funding up to the 2003 level.

We have responsibilities that we've simply not met.

I believe 30-some drilling rigs now drilling active wells on the reservation. We've got a lot of stuff going on.

Thank you for all your years of service with all the issues that our country is facing.

You just set up a mountain of trouble trying to go do what is being done on all other lands.

The legislation that's being championed by Senator Dorgan, you know, we are excited about it.