Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, protecting the rights of the sovereign tribes is a top priority of mine, and I am proud to work with Congressman Tipton in supporting the Water Rights Protection Act and offering this amendment to clarify protections for the water rights of American Indian tribes. Many tribes rely on reserved water rights and water rights guaranteed by treaty to provide critical water supplies for their people. This amendment makes clear that these water rights are fully protected. This amendment also ensures that the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture can't use one-sided permits, licenses, approvals, and other land management tools to take water from Indian tribes without just compensation. American Indian tribes have a distinguished record of being outstanding stewards of their water supplies and should never have to fear forfeiture of their water rights to the Federal Government. By prohibiting these Federal agencies from using heavy-handed tactics to take Indian water rights, we can proactively protect tribes from the potential Federal water grabs. {time} 1545 Taken together, H.R. 3189 and this amendment provide comprehensive water rights protections for all water users and help ensure the water supply certainty and jobs that are dependent on those rights. I thank the chairman and urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.”