Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to recognize today as a historic day for Montana and the Blackfeet people. With the passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act is ready to be sent to the President's desk. We thank Chairman Barrasso, Chairman Inhofe, Ranking Member Boxer, Leader McConnell, and Leader Reid and their counterparts in the House of Representatives for working with the Montana delegation throughout this process to enact this long-awaited water settlement. The Blackfeet tribe has been working for better access to quality water and a better livelihood for decades. In 1989, the tribe initiated negotiations with the Montana Compact Commission. Shortly thereafter in 1990, the Department of the Interior appointed a Federal negotiation team to assist in achieving a negotiated settlement of the tribe's reserved water rights claims. The State of Montana and the tribe then reached an agreement in 2007 in the form of a compact which settled the tribe's water rights to avoid costly litigation, allow the tribe to build and repair much-needed water infrastructure, and protect access to water for neighboring communities like Birch Creek water users off the reservation. On March 16, 2009, the Montana State House passed the agreement by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 87-12, and on March 20, 2009, the Montana State Senate passed the agreement by a nearly unanimous vote of 48-2.…”