Political Quotes

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1904 is a triple threat. It will rob Native people of their heritage. It will rob local people of their water. And it will rob the American people of their money. This legislation is simply an abdication of our responsibilities as stewards of public lands and the public trust, and it must be rejected. The Congress routinely considers land exchanges. It is our responsibility to weigh the merits of each proposal to determine whether it is in the best interest of the American people. Some proposals facilitate public recreation, some help local communities build courthouses and schools, and some serve important environmental goals. The land exchange required by H.R. 1904 serves none of those purposes. Rather, this legislation will take thousands of acres of healthy, protected, sacred public land and convert it into billions of dollars in corporate profits for two foreign mining companies. H.R. 1904 trades away several sites that are sacred to Native people. The hearing record before the Natural Resources Committee includes desperate pleas from San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache, Yavapai- Apache, Tonto Apache, Fort McDowell Yavapai, Hualapai, Jicarilla Apache, Mescalero Apache, and the Zuni Pueblo and others, pleading to respect the religious and cultural traditions.…”