Don Young

We are here to try to solve a problem. You may not agree, but this is what this hearing is about, not to sit here and make a partisan issue out of it.

Established in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution and held by the Supreme Court, Congress has exclusive and absolute authority over Indian affairs.

I bet you are happy about that. And how do I know who else is going to be sitting in that chair? How does a tribe know?

So, let's give the tribes the ability to have checks and balances, as well, and not put that complete authority in the hands of the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and the Secretary of the Speaker's House.

That was my bill, you know. That was my bill.

I want to make sure that self-determination is done through the tribes.

I have sat through this too many times and listened to you talking about how bad Republicans are.

We need to honestly put people above this partisanship, and solutions above ideology.

Again, what bothers me, Indian country is not trying to solve problems.

We created these tribes, and by an Act of Congress, they are going to take what is rightfully theirs.

This bill provides that congressional determinations will be informed by the analysis of the Department of the Interior's professional experts.

My goal originally with Kevin--and, as was before--is to improve the way that the Department establishes legitimacy of the application.

I want to ensure that, for the record, we all understand that my concern is with the very poor tribes that may not be able to afford a representative to come here and represent them.

My goal is actually to empower Native American tribes, and we should be doing that.

There is going to be consistency.

They are going to take what is rightfully theirs without compensation.

Where is the outcry on this side of the aisle?

Now we are going to put a time frame in there, where if we do not act, it automatically becomes the recommendation of the Department of the Interior.

My frustration is there seems to be a political ginning up in Indian country.

Where is the support for the American Natives, the first Americans, which is strongly supported by all the tribes?

This is worse than any other jurisdiction that I have seen, whether it be the EPA, the water rule, whether it be the clean power rule--this is worse than all of that, because this distorts the Constitution, plain and simple.

Acknowledgment decisions are political.

I would suggest one thing. Again, this is a hearing. And it is to look for improvement in this legislation.

Slow, cumbersome, and enormously expensive.

Personally, I would suggest respectfully that this is an attempt to try to make it a level playing field for everyone.