Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 382, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Confirmation Act of 2023, introduced by Senator Cantwell and led in the House by my incredibly brilliant colleague from Washington, Representative Kilmer. We know that land is at the very essence of Tribal sovereignty, cultural survival, and economic sovereignty. That is why taking land into trust for Tribes, either through the BIA or congressional process, is essential if we are to honor our trust responsibilities to Tribes, if we are to honor our commitment to help reverse, if only by a few acres at a time, some of the worst of our Federal policies from the 19th and 20th centuries. This bill would authorize the United States to take approximately 17.2 acres of land located in Pierce County, Washington, and owned by the Puyallup Tribe into trust for the benefit of the Tribe. Typically, land is taken into trust under the Bureau of Indian Affairs administrative process. However, it is not uncommon for Tribes to take a legislative route depending on their circumstances. In the case of the Puyallup Tribe, the Tribe identified legacy contamination from historical industrial sites when undergoing environmental site assessments. When placing land into trust, the Federal Government does not take liability for environmental contamination that could have occurred prior to the transfer.…”