Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we talk a lot about leveling the playing field when it comes to economic development on Tribal lands. Passage of S. 245, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017, will help achieve that goal in the area of energy development. Tribes have stated for years that the many Federal laws governing the development of Tribal energy resources are complex and often lead to significant costs, delays, and uncertainties for all parties. This tends to discourage development of Tribal trust energy resources and drive development investments to private or non-Tribal lands, resulting in Tribes losing out on much-needed revenue and jobs. S. 245 will provide Tribes with greater control and flexibility in developing and managing both their traditional and renewable energy resources, so I am happy to support this bill today. But this is just a start. In the next Congress, I hope we can work together to pass legislation that addresses the other disparities that hinder Tribal economic development as well as incentivize renewable energy development on Tribal lands. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1630”