Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 226, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, introduced by my friend from Tennessee, Congressman Fleischmann. H.R. 226 places approximately 96 acres of Tennessee Valley Authority land and permanent easements along the shores of the Little Tennessee River and Tellico Reservoir in Monroe County, Tennessee, into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These areas include the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, the Chota Memorial, the Tanasi Memorial, and lands to support these properties and cultural programs. The parcels placed into trust under the bill will be used to memorialize and interpret the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is one of three federally recognized Cherokee Tribes. Their ancestral homeland includes substantial parts of seven eastern States, including Tennessee, and the 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina. In 1979 after the TVA completed the Tellico Dam, the Tribe approached the TVA about lands that were historically significant to the Tribe and impacted by the dam. In 1984 and 1986, the Tribe and the TVA reached an informal agreement that allowed the Tribe to manage two easements, including the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. H.R.…”