John Hoeven

I think that we really are going to have to look at some prioritization.

I'd be happy to. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

I thank the distinguished Senator from Mississippi for his kind comments and also for his leadership on the Agriculture Committee as our ranking member. I wanted to express my appreciation. With that, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING…

Thanks, Madam Chairwoman.

Then you do have some discretion in terms of priority of a project based on how imminent it is or how significant it is.

If it is in statute, does it have a higher priority than----

I figured I would have plenty of opportunity to express any opinions and certainly ask questions.

We are not able to do it as effectively and as efficiently as we would like.

We've got a good avenue for you to go back to people and say, 'Okay. We don't have the resources to do all these things.'

If I could finish that up, I think that is a discussion you ought to have and come up with some different ideas that the companies would support in a representation of companies.

Are there tasks, are there things that you are assigned to do, you have to either do on a repetitive basis, on a recurring basis that we could perhaps use your time and research more efficiently if we changed it or eliminated it?

That is required. That is first. You have to do that and then you take the committee/subcommittees as you are able to.

I look forward to this discussion on how we can do the best possible job with your budget and your appropriation.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

I understand that my amendment has already been handed in. I will point out that I have a modification at the desk. This is a very simple amendment. It provides that the Corps of Engineers cannot charge a State or a tribe or municipality--

I wish to thank my colleague from South Dakota and turn to my colleague from North Dakota for any final thoughts before we yield the floor.

I appreciate that. I think you will find there are tremendous things we can do on transparency and everything else if we just work together to have something that is simple and straightforward and empowers States' first approach that would…

I appreciate your commitment to come to our State.

If we can follow the approach that we have taken both with Interior and the White House like our BLM streamlining legislation where we have worked together, that is the kind of approach I am talking about where I think we can do good…

We want to get them going economically or help them, but we really cannot do it without having the kind of law enforcement.

I inserted that $3.5 million for law enforcement. It is a crying need in our part of the world.

I think that level of commitment is very much needed and will help in terms of the whole effort.

In general, law enforcement is a real need on all of our reservations.

In the 2013 budget, the Administration did not fund $3.5 million that BIA requested for law enforcement.

I think we can leverage your resources. We can do much more together even with, you know, the challenges of sequestration.