And we have in fact in place the Federal protections that are already afforded in law. It is not as if there is no due process that is at play here.

Indeed, it is a genuine thank you. I want to thank you and your team for the very cooperative work...

We know that crime is best addressed by the government closest to the crime, and in an Alaska Native Village that is the tribal government.

Our reasons for keeping them out of it are rooted in fear, distrust, and assumptions about their capacity to soundly administer the law that all ought to be long since in our past.

The solutions to the current public safety crisis is to be found in partnerships with state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Thank you again for your ongoing leadership, not only over the years but over the decades as you are working to protect vulnerable Native women throughout the State of Alaska.

I look forward to working with all of my colleagues as we work to advance this restoration of justice through VAWA.

I am absolutely confident, absolutely confident, that Alaska tribes are up to this task.

We want the tools to combat this problem.

But I want to emphasize that the impacts on the ground in Native communities, particularly in places like very rural Alaska, they are very real, they are very tragic.

So the outcomes or results are the same, if you will, regardless of whether it is Congressional recognition or administrative recognition?

I will state that all of these bills have something in common: they acknowledge and affirm the importance of the government-to-government relationship between the United States and Indian tribes.

We must ensure that we are addressing the needs of our tribal communities.

I guess what I would ask, and this is following your comments, Assistant Secretary, is if there is a situation where this legislation would inadvertently place land into trust that may be historically tied to another tribe that there is…

We cannot deceive people into thinking that there is some easy button out there that we just have not pushed yet.

We`ve got to step back from the partisanship, we`ve got to step back from the politicization that is driving this conversation. I think we should be able to agree to meaningful improvements that will help ensure that all our elections are…

I come to the floor this afternoon to speak also about the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This is S. 4. Listening to my friend from Virginia here describe some of the history that he and his family have been through, again…

this afternoon I come to the floor to recognize the life and the contributions of a friend, an Alaskan, a gentleman: Chuck Bundrant. He was the founder and the majority owner of Trident Seafoods and a fisherman who really forever changed…

We need to ensure that the voices of our tribal nations are heard and respected.

I would like to also to thank Senator Cortez Masto for her leadership and Senator Rosen, Senator Crapo, and Senator Risch for championing this legislation.

This is not acceptable. As trustee, the United States should interpret ambiguous provisions in favor of tribes.

the land transfer provisions in the proposed Fort Belknap settlement are unique unto themselves.

Indian water rights are vested property rights and resources for which the United States has a trust responsibility.

I look forward to working with both my friends, Senator Tester and Senator Daines, on this settlement going forward.

Water is a valuable resource for Tribes. It is fundamental for Tribal public health and economic development on Indian reservations, particularly in the West.