Tom Udall

Thank you very much for joining us today, and I look forward to continued cooperation, making improvements, and addressing ongoing challenges facing the VA.

I think that was a good example of what we need to do here in terms of reasserting the authority of this committee.

The cleanup project at Los Alamos is extremely important to New Mexico and I think to the nation just in terms of cleanup.

And it is important that NNSA avoid a decision that would unnecessarily increase the cost or timelines of the plutonium mission at Los Alamos.

And as I--General Klotz mentioned, in my opening, there is currently an analysis of alternatives ongoing for the plutonium mission at Los Alamos.

I strongly support the funding in the budget for the new NNSA Albuquerque Complex Building.

I look forward to working with you on the MESA refurbishment and to ensure that it remains on time and on schedule.

This is not going to be a military solution. We are going to need to have military action and then follow up with a political solution.

If another country had troops in the U.S. without our permission and was training military groups to attack our government, wouldn't we obviously consider that an invasion and a declaration of war?

Without an AUMF (Authorization for Use of Military Force), aren't we risking further mission creep and involvement in the Syrian civil war?

Now, what are your key recommendations for Congress and Federal agencies to ensure that this technology develops so we can realize the safety potential of autonomous vehicles to eliminate drunk driving deaths?

Should an autonomous vehicle be required to have technology to prevent an intoxicated person from taking control of the wheel?

This technology has the promise to reduce crashes and fatalities.

I spoke about the budget including a considerable increase for nuclear survivability.

This Committee agrees that we want to ensure that the Tribal HUD-VASH Demonstration Program is achieving maximum efficiency.

We are concerned about the message that it may send by condoning separate treatment of different Native communities within the United States.

I would say again to my Chairman, it has been such a pleasure working with him. He is one of the most bipartisan Senators I know in the United States Senate.

You believe it weakens the trust responsibility to those tribes?

I think it weakens that responsibility, that understanding, that relationship.

S. 1250 would impose sweeping reforms on the Indian Health Service, S. 1275 would reauthorize certain housing programs created by the Native American Housing and Self Determination Act, while imposing changes to that law, training and…

The issues presented in these bills are important to Indian Country and reflect our shared priorities on this Committee.

The state needs more investment in the programs slated to be cut by the proposed budget.

New Mexico is a water constrained state, as many of our western states are, and climate change is exacerbating the challenge faster than anywhere else across the nation.

I am extremely disheartened by the cuts to programs that enhance our water security.

It would be unthinkable for the United States to fail to fully comply with contractual obligations to other treaty parties without consequence.