Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 423, the Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act, introduced by my good friend from California, Congressman Issa, places approximately 721 acres of land the Pala Band of Mission Indians currently owns into trust. The Pala Band of Mission Indians are in the southern California town of Pala, with the reservation totaling approximately 12,000 acres. While the Tribal economy is largely supported by agricultural enterprises, the Tribe also operates a 86,000-square-foot Class III casino and resort. In the early 1990s, San Diego County voters approved a plan to establish the Gregory Canyon landfill project on a 1,700-parcel of land along State Route 76 west of the Pala Band's reservation. {time} 1715 Plans for development of the landfill ceased when the original owner of the property fell into bankruptcy in 2014. A successor company began exploring other development opportunities and began meeting with the Tribe to sell a portion of the land to the Tribe for cultural preservation as it contains cultural sites and components meaningful to the Pala Band. In 2016, 721 acres were purchased by the Tribe. Pala Band Chairman Robert Smith testified to Congress that these acres were historically occupied by Native peoples and are the site of an ancestral village, rock art paintings, and ancient artifacts. H.R.…”