We must stand by the rights promised to Freedmen and the treaties that guaranteed those rights over a century ago.

It is when we don't expand our table to hear more from those who have been disenfranchised that injustices and systemic inequities are perpetuated.

I want to again thank Senator Schatz for holding this important hearing and working with me on this issue.

I am interested in learning more about what these treaties entailed, and the obligations of both the tribes and the Federal Government to Freedmen descendants.

We have a responsibility to uphold the agreements made with our tribes.

This pandemic has made clear that the ongoing discrimination of the Freedmen descendants can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Tribal self-governance is the best path forward to resolving internal tribal conflicts. We encourage other tribes to take similar steps.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for convening today's very, very important and as you have noted, historic hearing.

But that can be, I think, the best way to resolve those is within the tribe and through the nation-to-nation relationship.

Let me ask yet probably another hard question, and that is a recognition that as sovereign parties to treaties, tribes clearly have an important role in interpreting the meaning of the treaties.

So what about any administrative authorities within the department to address some of the concerns that we have heard articulated today?

I am finishing up. So I am not going to yield. It is important to me, to my colleague from Maryland. There is a lot of money going to universities. This is really important to me, and I have been wanting to give this speech for a long…

it is Thursday, and we are back at it with our Alaskan of the Week series. We have been doing this for, geez, 6 years now, I think. For the new pages, this is usually kind of the signal of the end of the week but also some really cool…

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Cortez Masto). Without objection, it is so ordered. Tribute to Betsy Lawer

I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes and Senator Durbin for up to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

I am happy to come to the floor today to join my colleague the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Sullivan, as well as my colleague from Kansas, to talk about where we are with this administration or where, unfortunately, we aren't when it comes to…

I ask unanimous consent that the privileges of the floor be granted to my second-session summer interns for the month of July through August 5; that is, Jonathon Ford, Matthew Agron, Isabella Kershaw, Jocelyn Cannon, Devin Moorehead…

Thank you to my friends from the great State of Utah and the great State of Florida, Senator Scott and Senator Lee. Mr. President, I want to explain to any American who is watching just what happened here because, to be honest, it is kind…