Heidi Heitkamp

This is a critical issue for us, and it is a critical infrastructure issue for the development and the continued viability of rural America.

I think anyone who understands Indian country knows that very many Native Americans in terms of a percentage of their population serve in really double, triple, quadruple numbers in the armed services.

I do not think there is any doubt there is still a digital divide in this country, and that is my point.

There are concerns about squashing innovation, especially in the mental health area, within the Indian Health Service.

I do not mean to interrupt, but is that true in every remote location in the United States?

What happens if the Internet is intermittent and dial-up?

Lest you think that this is an unimportant issue to North Dakota, I want to point out that the two Senators whose names were invoked in the testimony were Senator Conrad and Senator Burdick, both from North Dakota and both deeply concerned…

We do not want people who have chemotherapy who are entitled to veterans services to have to get on a bus and drive 10 hours.

I will pledge this. I am chairing on the Ag Committee the Rural Development Subcommittee, and this is an area that goes beyond telemedicine.

My colleagues from North and South Dakota and I come from practical States. We come from States where we try to anticipate problems and we solve problems before they turn into big, expensive pieces of litigation, and that is what that…

It is so critical given how hard fought this provision was and how incredibly necessary this provision was that we come out of this with a good, solid, couple first good steps and that we prove this up.

I want to follow up on an additional point beyond what Senator Hoeven talked about.

I hope when we introduce you to North Dakota, we will be able to talk a little bit about working with county sheriffs, local law enforcement and highway patrol to expand the ability to do additional law enforcement.

For eight years, I got the same response which was, we share your concern.

Could you actually make a commitment to when you leave office that the condition for Native American children will be improved in Indian country?

I want to talk about law enforcement training because we know how critical that is.

This truly is a panel who believes in what you are doing, believes that you are our future.

It is absolutely essential that we get this right, because you are the future.

I want to congratulate all of you, everyone on the panel, for your tremendous testimony and for your efforts on behalf of the American people and on behalf of small business.

We need to build entrepreneurship. We need to build opportunities in Indian Country, which has staggering amounts of poverty.

And my friend from Montana, we will provide the citations and the Supreme Court cases that talk about the exertion of jurisdiction over foreign corporations by State taxing authorities. I will offer up this document which outlines that we…

I understand that the swap reporting compliance date is fast approaching, April 10, 2013.

When you step back and you look at what children need, this is obviously a huge component of community.

Our most acute and most desperate need for housing is in Indian Country.

What do we do, working within existing programs, and what do we do looking at financing?