Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to have my voice heard in support of H.R. 2181, the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act. This proposal that is sponsored by my friend, Mr. Lujan, with the support of the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, Representative Haaland, also from New Mexico, is another important step towards recognizing and elevating the voices and the presence of Native communities in this Chamber. As the chairwoman mentioned in her opening statement, our committee has heard from Puebloan and Tribal leaders throughout this Congress about how important it is to protect Chaco. These communities want to see Chaco, their ancestral homeland, protected from oil and gas drilling. This is an important piece of legislation. It is an agreed-upon proposal that balances regional development with the needs to ensure that special places and, indeed, sacred places are off limits. It fits well into the work this Chamber is doing today and has been doing all Congress. We are listening to diverse voices, protecting the rights of Native communities, and conserving our public lands for the benefit of current and future generations. Mr. Chair, I hope our colleagues will join us in this important work by voting today to protect irreplaceable sites that are important to Native communities and supported by folks on the ground and that are critical to the story of this Nation of ours. {time} 1515”