Heidi Heitkamp

Nobody is perfect. We have to constantly be striving.

I just really believe that this collaboration and partnership between this Committee and particularly this Subcommittee and you guys talking back and forth, I hope you find that that is a useful use of your time.

It just kind of boggles my mind that, from somebody who used to run a State agency and when the State auditor gave me a recommendation, man, we turned Heaven and Earth to get it done.

I am very excited about what you are doing, and I hope you share with our staff all of those letters.

This type of oversight is critical and valuable.

Let us get this done. Let us get the review done.

I think that is really a step in the right direction, so I want to applaud the effort of Homeland Security in stepping up and actually being responsive.

I want to talk about trauma-informed and trauma-based therapies.

But understand, this is important business. And so when it is not treated like it is important business, we get a little upset.

The challenges faced by tribal communities require comprehensive solutions and support from the federal government.

When we don't see a priority being placed on victims and on protecting people, when that is the fundamental obligation of government, we are going to be a little disappointed.

I spent six years and got nothing done.

I think we cannot begin to solve all these other problems until we get a true law enforcement presence.

I think we are looking for models all across the Country that can be adopted in Indian Country to better protect Indian people.

So whatever it takes for you to send that message back that we are serious about this, because you may not see it, but when we go home, we see it every day.

We have no law enforcement presence. We have no cop on the beat.

They are working to deal with kind of a culture that needs to change within that subset, and they are doing terrific work in terms of educating.

I want to, I think, really thank all the advocacy groups and all of you who have been on the front end of this.

You need to try harder. And if you were truly trying as hard as what you could, if you truly cared, you would be in this room with us talking about how we could, in fact, attack this problem.

I think that this is a huge part of what we need to be concerned about.

I think border security remains a critical priority for this country.

Do you think it is legitimate for the American public to today ask you to provide answers to their questions about this program?

I think that is right but I think the question is when do we see a program at that level where it then can launch independently or launch into BIE programming or into public school programming?

I think we have to say what additional stress does that put on additional tribal entities that would like to see access to these programs which will not get access if we extend the time period.

We have to figure out the sustainability piece of this.