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Congressman for All Alaska Don Young spoke on the floor of the United States House of Representatives this afternoon to defend the Denali Commission against a troubling amendment offered to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2641) that would eliminate all federal funding. 

Congressman Young’s remarks as prepared:

“Madam Speaker, I am dismayed that this Congress, including Members of my own party, voted to eliminate funding for the Denali Commission and cripple the economic lifeline to hundreds of small communities throughout rural Alaska.

“I’m standing here today defending funding for the Denali Commission because the Federal Government has time and time again limited the ability of Alaskans to provide for themselves.  We have trillions of dollars worth of resources in our state, but we haven’t been able to produce them.  No to ANWR.  No to Mining.  No to more Alaskan oil and natural gas.  No to letting Alaskans provide for themselves.  It’s economic terrorism.

“We’ve sent over 15.5 billion barrels of oil through the Pipeline.  At today’s prices, that’s equivalent to $1.1 trillion.  We have trillions of dollars more worth of energy, and if the State were allowed to manage its own resources, we wouldn’t need the Denali Commission.  And we wouldn’t be sending trillions of American dollars overseas to countries that hate us for energy Americans could be producing at home.

“Unfortunately, energy ignorance in this body is increasing almost as fast as our dependence on foreign oil, and until Alaska is permitted to produce its own resources – for themselves and for America – Alaskans will need help from the Denali Commission.

“In 1998, Congress passed the Denali Commission Act.  It provides job training and other economic development services in rural communities, chiefly in troubled communities where unemployment exceeds 50 percent.  It promotes rural development by providing power generation and transmission facilities, modern communication systems, water and sewer systems and other infrastructure needs.

“To give you an idea how big my state is, Alaska is 656,425 square miles; more than twice the size of Texas.  Individual Alaskans own less than 1% of the land; the federal government owns 60%.

“Flush toilets are just one of the “luxuries” the Denali Commission provides to rural Alaskans.  I doubt that many of my colleagues have ever heard of, let alone used a honey bucket. 

“How many of my colleagues have communities in their districts with no water and sewer system?  Well, Madam Speaker, I have several.  The Denali Commission has brought these systems to many of my rural communities, but there are still over 150 areas that suffer from poor sanitation or a lack of safe drinking water.  

“There are rural communities that are completely isolated and my Alaskans can only get to and from their homes by boat or by small planes.  There are few roads connecting communities outside of Anchorage and Fairbanks.

“The Commission also works carefully to ensure these communities have telephones, a reliable supply of electricity, and in some cases internet access.

“Madam Speaker, these are all things we in the Lower 48 take for granted, but for thousands of Alaskans they are luxuries.

 â€œIn 2006, the Denali Commission leveraged its funding to develop basic infrastructure in over 100 Alaska communities.  It invested money toward replacing aging bulk fuel storage tank systems and upgrading rural power plants, while at the same time pushing for wind generation, hydro, geothermal, and biomass energy projects. 

 â€œIn addition to constructing several essential village primary care clinics, the Denali Commission funded major design initiatives for needed replacement hospitals in Nome and Barrow.  It has now completed clinics in over 65 of these remote communities. 

 â€œThe Commission also provided funding to construct housing for teachers in 9 frontier communities which is essential for recruiting and retaining teachers to the most remote areas of my state.

 â€œThe Commission works tirelessly each year to make sure that my Alaskans are not treated like second class citizens.

 â€œThis amendment will cripple the Denali Commission’s ability to provide these basic services, and cripple many rural communities that are already on crutches.”

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