Jeff Merkley

Amen to that. And I have a bill to change that, so Thank you, for drawing attention and spotlighting that issue.

We have a lot of Tribes in both of our states, and a lot of work to be done on many fronts.

I hope the results of those meetings will be that these Tribes that haven't been able to participate in the program, will be able to get their feet on the ground, and get started.

Please, any extra attention you can give to that Warm Springs project will be much, much appreciated.

Thank you very much.

I do not want to see us moving backwards.

It is imperative to look at a wide range of topics, because those topics are so interwoven.

I am quite pleased that we had that legislative achievement, and I hope the advance helps with the predictable and stable funding for years to come.

A major driver is a $742 million increase to expand access to health care across all IHS Direct Service lines.

Will you commit to making sure that Oregon and other states that don't have their own Green Banks can still have access to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund?

Would that proposal significantly cut the removal of lead pipes, resulting in more damage to more children?

It seems like that is at odds with bipartisan support for water infrastructure.

Adding new emissions through pipeline expansions, like the GTN Xpress, is incompatible with President Biden's pledge, and it would undermine Oregon's efforts for a clean energy future.

Similarly, approval expanding a fossil fuel pipeline in my state is contrary to the steps that Oregon has taken to build a clean energy future.

I am still concerned that the EPA is failing to protect frontline communities already overburdened with toxic chemicals and other forms of pollution when it comes to that process.

I adamantly oppose the Biden administration's approval of fossil fuel projects, one project after another.

The world needs American leadership and to lead we have to have the power of our example.

Once we lose them there, they are gone. And we know how hard it is to get the phosphorus out of the lake.

And for the first time, we provided $5 million specifically for FRIMA activities.

I want to turn to the Western Oregon operating plan (WOOP), as it is referred to, and this is a plan that coordinates the approach to wildfire response.

We need to really reduce the risk of fire and that means directing resources to do forest management.

The key is that we maintain this agreement, when it comes up for renewal in 2024.

You know, it is clear that the purchasing power of the strategy has diminished significantly.

It is essential. People can't take jobs if they can't afford a place to live.

There are two routes to doing this. One is kind of a voluntary effort through the Xerces Society, but the other is for us to have a regulation that says you can label these plants pollinators safe if they have been raised in this manner.