Heidi Heitkamp

We cannot suffer another generation and sacrifice them to methamphetamines.

Where is the justice in Indian Country for Native American children and families who are terrified by this epidemic?

The rate of meth use among American Indians is the highest of any ethnic group in our country.

Six kids in the last two weeks is not insignificant.

You are the cop on the beat and you are absent.

I am beyond frustrated. I asked the FBI Chairman in this room to come to North Dakota to actually give us a plan.

We have mothers giving their children away for sexual favors for drugs.

We need to continue to recruit into our National Guard.

I think this is a great opportunity for us to have this conversation, to think about preparation.

You might be a little concerned about delivery if the power goes out and you cannot pump the gas.

I just think it is something that we need to have that communications network, we need to have the ability to continue to manage an emergency response network in the event of a catastrophic power outage, and, so prevention, hugely…

You should also worry about low-tech. my guys would tell you that a .22 in the right place could do almost as much damage as anything we are talking about today.

A miracle happens every day. We walk over to the light switch, and we turn it on, and lights come on.

We just do not have a comfort level both legally and in terms of due process with the direction you are taking.

I guess what I am saying is we would prefer that you hit the pause button on this idea so that we can better understand the oversight, better understand where you are at, and have further conversations about this.

Is this legal what you are doing? And are we buying, like the Chairman said, a lawsuit?

Obviously, we hope that this oversight Committee hearing has at least raised some flags within the Social Security Administration.

If it is just legal advice, then why privilege it? The taxpayers paid for it. Let us see it.

I think we are buying ourselves--I think our concern here is, No. 1, to understand your decisionmaking, and I applaud you.

I come here today on behalf of the over 1 million Indian children asking this Committee and the Congress to quickly approve S. 2842.

Identifying someone as a Native child is going to become increasingly difficult.

Education is a critical component of improving the lives of Native American children.

It is almost tragic that not only do you have a treaty right but also a right that was earned in service to this Country and you have people begging for services.

We are extremely pleased and thankful that Senators Heidi Heitkamp, James Lankford, Steve Daines--and we hope all of you will also join--have stepped up to introduce legislation.

I think it is important that we have ongoing discussions and dialogue, because as we work through this particular issue, we could be setting down a milestone that we don't want to set down.