On the recordOctober 8, 2015
There is nothing in this act that changes the President's authority. I go back to self-determination. These are tribal lands owned by the tribes, controlled by the tribal council, and they will make a decision about the sacred sites; not somebody, again, in Miami or New York that wants to stop the project. These are tribal sites, and that is the thing I don't quite understand. This affects nothing of the present law. If they decide this is a sacred site, that will be their decision, instead of someone else. I urge people to reject his motion to recommit, and let's pass this legislation, this one little, tiny step forward for our first Americans. This bill came from them and they support it. They are not worried about these sacred sites because they will control them, not somebody who is an official. We take no authority away from the President. Very frankly, Mr. Speaker, this is a motion to recommit to slow the bill down. They say it doesn't, but this is an attempt to do so. I urge a ``no'' on the motion to recommit and a ``yes'' on the passage for that little, tiny step for the American Indians, our first people. I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit. There was no objection. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit. The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the noes appeared to have it.
