Ben Ray Luján

The legislation Democrats introduced today creates a permanent scientific group.

It would be a very unfortunate outcome if those people were told 'no, you cannot connect--this is a Pueblo-only system.'

I just really don't want to lose sight of that.

Mr. Lujan. Commissioner Montoya, could you touch upon the last series of questions there?

This Settlement Act represents a compromise and a guarantee of future allocations that costly litigation could never achieve.

We want to have clean water for everyone.

I have a little bit of experience with regional water authorities because I used to chair the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority.

The United States owes not only a federal trust obligation to these pueblos to protect the water rights of the Acequias and their members.

Thank you very much, Mr. Martinez.

Our water resources are precious in New Mexico. Without a reliable water supply, we cannot improve human health, protect our cultures and traditions, or grow economies.

I wonder if the settlement doesn't constitute an unconstitutional taking.

I especially want to thank the New Mexico congressional delegation for enabling us to achieve this settlement.

So if the settlement was adopted, would it protect non-Indian water users in the Valley?

This settlement will avoid contentious litigation that could only cause future mistrust and conflict throughout the Taos area.

These settlements will protect water resources, advance the implementation of effective water management, and ensure future access to water resources for all residents located in the areas of northern New Mexico encompassed by these…

I strongly urge the Subcommittee to take favorable action on the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act.

I would like to thank Speaker Lujan and Governor Richardson for following through on that funding.

Just a few quick questions.

I hope that we can get some assurance, maybe from the Bureau, that they would be willing to meet with some of the parties to be able to resolve some of the issues that it sounds like we are closer to than not today.

I am strongly in favor of additional water development and believe that the project contemplated by this legislation will be a boon to the entire region.

The reason I ask that question, I just want to be very clear here.

I want to thank Congressman Lujan for his leadership in working with the Four Pueblos...

Thank you very much, Madame Chair and Ranking Member McClintock.

We feel that although the Administration might not yet be fully satisfied with these settlements, we firmly believe that these settlements... represent our best and exhaustive effort to reach compromises.

I thank Chairwoman Napolitano, Ranking Member McClintock, members of the Subcommittee on Water and Power...