Chip Cravaack: “I thank my good friend from Alaska for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1272, the Minnesota…”

“I thank my good friend from Alaska for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1272, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 2012, of which I am an original cosponsor. I represent five of the six bands that constitute the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, which is a sovereign, federally recognized tribal entity and the sole plaintiff in the litigation whose settlement gives rise to this legislation. {time} 1910 The five bands that reside in my district are: Bois Forte, Grand Portage, Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, and Fond Du Lac. I've met with the representatives from all five bands on a number of occasions in the 112th Congress, and they've all made it very clear to me that it is more than past time to bring resolution to this longstanding issue. I agree. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe entered into a $20 million legal settlement with the United States Government in 1999 to compensate for damages stemming from the improper taking of land and valuation of timber under the Nelson Act of 1889. These settlement funds have been sitting in a Department of the Interior trust fund ever since and with interest have grown to about $28 million. That money now belongs to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The United States' only role in this has been to temporarily hold it in trust for them until it can be distributed. Thus I've joined with my fellow Minnesota Representatives, Mr. Peterson and Mr. Paulsen, in cosponsoring the legislation before you today.…”