Tom Udall

I am very disappointed, Chief Tidwell, that the President's budget makes no attempt to provide supplemental funds to shore up the 10-year average or to address the longer term structural problems with the wildland firefighting budget.

It means a budget that slashes nearly $700 million from Tribal programs, ignoring this Nation's trust and treaty obligations for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

It means a 30 percent cut to programs that preserve clean air and clear water within the Environmental Protection Agency's budget.

The decision to propose these massive cuts reverberates through programs that Members on both sides of the aisle care about, and virtually every agency.

It is my guess that many of the decisions to shortchange key priorities in the Forest Service budget were made because the President has proposed to enact more than $54 billion worth of cuts to non-defense programs next year, a very unwise…

The Army takes the national security implications of a changing climate very seriously.

You cannot simply ratchet up defense spending while undercutting education and law enforcement and housing assistance, victims' assistance, Medicaid, workforce training, and on and on.

What are the benefits to the Forest Service and its employees in this organizational shift?

Thank you very much, appreciate it. Thank you, Madam Chair. I look forward to working with you.

When you talk about gaining efficiencies, know that I want to work with you on that, but you cannot talk about it and say this is the direction we are going, and then reduce your budget.

Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Madam Chair.

We remain optimistic on the infrastructure plan, that we have proven in the past when additional funding has been made available to this agency, that we have been able to quickly respond, to be able to implement those projects, to be able…

Given the President's bold statements about supporting rural jobs and building infrastructure, one of the most surprising cuts to the Forest Service budget is within the capital improvement and maintenance program.

I look forward to working with you on the Land and Water Conservation Fund and some of these projects that are moving along and have been in process.

I want to work with Chairman Murkowski to restore the Land and Water Conservation Fund, including funds for both new and continuing acquisitions.

How concerned are you with the proliferation of this technology? And how are you working to ensure that bases and new projects are protected from this capability?

The Navy will experience the impacts of climate change sooner rather than later as sea levels rise and wreak havoc on our Naval bases.

Would the members of the panel agree that if we are going to be able to effectively counter these capabilities, test ranges and facilities like White Sands must be made a priority for military construction and maintenance?

The remotely piloted aircraft facility at Holloman and the special operations facilities at Cannon will significantly improve the capabilities of our airmen and women at these bases.

New Mexico's bases greatly benefit, as you all know, from military construction.

This letter is to state our support for full funding of the PILT program in the Federal fiscal year 2018 budget.

I just want to say the GAO listing this as a high risk opportunity is a chance for us to work together...

It is a framework that can modify and morph over time specific to the needs, a living document, but with five priorities in place, it is a good framework.

We are moving forward because we cannot wait because it is patients we are seeing. That is the focus of everything that we do.

I am concerned that the framework will stall and much needed improvements will fail to be implemented.