The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN ALASKA” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Senate section on pages S9541-S9542 on July 31, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN ALASKA
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this is a picture of a gentleman, Walter Samuelson. Walter Samuelson was 60 years old when he died February 1, 1992, as a consequence of a heart attack from complications he suffered in February of that year. Because of the weather in King Cove, AK, Samuelson waited 3 days after his heart attack before he could be removed out of King Cove to a hospital in Anchorage. By that time, his heart had been so severely damaged he eventually had to have a heart transplant. The Samuelson family believes that had Walter been able to get out of the village of King Cove a little earlier, he would not have had the major complications that led to his heart transplant.
Mr. Samuelson was born and raised in King Cove, AK. He served in the military in the Korean war. He was a fisherman all his life, fishing with his father and brothers while growing up. And after serving in the military, he moved to Sitka and married. He and his wife, Freda, had four boys. During the summer, he would fly his plane 1,000 miles back to King Cove where his boat was and where he could continue his livelihood, fishing for salmon. He later moved back to King Cove to live and later remarried. He and his second wife, Tanna, had two more children.
Mr. Samuelson was a dedicated patron of the school in King Cove and devoted much of his time and effort there, so much so that he was honored in the dedication of the school's yearbook to him as ``a great friend of King Cove schools,'' an honor which he certainly cherished.
He is survived by his wife Tanna and children: Carl, Walter, Jr., Charles, John, Axel, and Tanna. His surviving brothers and sisters are: Anna Poe, Marion Walker, Thelma Hutton, Christine Christiansen, and Alex, Eugene, John, Frank, and Eric Samuelson.
Mr. Samuelson required a heart transplant and died because there is no road between King Cove and Cold Bay.
We wonder how many more people have to die before we do something about it. Eleven residents have perished in aircraft accidents being medevaced out of King Cove a short distance to Cold Bay, where there is a year-round crosswind runway, as opposed to the gravel strip in the village of King Cove, where sometimes the windsock is blowing at opposite ends of the runway in opposite directions because of the severe turbulence in what is classified as one of the three worst weather areas identified in the world.
The point is the people of King Cove have an alternative, and that is a short, 7-mile road connection which would necessitate a gravel road of 7 miles on the edge of a wilderness area. The people of King Cove are willing to give approximately 700 acres of their land to enlarge the wilderness for access through 7 miles of wilderness. This is being objected to by the Department of Interior and by many of the environmental community.
I hope, as we return from our recess, we can reflect on the human merits, so we do not have to address additional obituaries of people who died because of their inability to get medical care and have simple access that every American enjoys with the exception of people in the village of King Cove, AK.
Mr. President, let me take this opportunity to wish you a very pleasant recess, and the other officials who are here in the Senate Chamber.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Alaska is recognized.
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