Manuel Lujan: “I am optimistic that this amendment may even pass on a voice vote because I have been listening closely to my colleagues…”

“I am optimistic that this amendment may even pass on a voice vote because I have been listening closely to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle about the importance of providing clarifying language to ensure that we are able to make sure that we are meeting the goals that we have laid out. So I am hopeful, Mr. Chairman, that this may be a short debate, but one that will definitely pass and make sure that we are embracing both sides of the aisle. Mr. Chairman, this simple amendment would further clarify that this proposal only withdraws Federal resources. The withdrawal in H.R. 2181 would not impact nor remove valid existing rights. This includes any lands and minerals owned by a Tribe or a member of a Tribe, including allotment land, and it will include any valid rights to lands or minerals held by the State of New Mexico. I introduced this bill to prevent further encroachment of Federal oil and gas development on the sacred sites of the greater Chaco Canyon region. These sites have withstood the test of time, 800 A.D. They have stood for thousands of years and give us a window into the past. Yet, every year, oil and gas development on Federal lands inch closer and closer, threatening these sites and thousands of ancient artifacts within the region. The Chaco Culture National Historical Park has significant religious, cultural, and archaeological value to the original peoples of the Southwest.…”