Mary Peltola

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Chehalis Tribe's Reservation in Washington was created in 1864 and sits at the confluence of the Chehalis and Black Rivers. To develop supply chain infrastructure, the Tribe is seeking to finance improvements on an existing facility located on Tribal trust land to secure a lease of the facility with an outside entity. The financing required for the project requires a lease agreement term of at least 86 years, which is currently not an option for the Tribe under the terms of the Long-Term Leasing Act. Instead, the act limits lease agreement terms to no more than 25 years with an option to renew for an additional 25 years. Since the passage of the Long-Term Leasing Act, Congress has allowed for longer leases by adding the names of certain Tribes to the Long- Term Leasing Act. Historically, such bills have been noncontroversial. Since 1955, Congress has added 59 Tribes to the Long-Term Leasing Act. S. 3773 will serve as a Long-Term Leasing Act fix for the Chehalis Tribe to pursue its planned economic development activities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I have no further requests for time, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4104) to approve the settlement of water rights claims of the Hualapai Tribe and certain allottees in the State of Arizona, to authorize construction of a water project relating to those water rights claims, and for other purposes.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4104, the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act introduced by Senator Sinema of Arizona. Representative O'Halleran of Arizona has the House companion to this legislation. The bill would authorize and approve the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Agreement, quantifying the Tribe's rights to Colorado River water. The bill authorizes $312 million so that the Tribe can manage the construction of a water supply project that will finally provide reliable water supplies to the Hualapai Reservation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I have no further requests for time. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 5066) to designate Mount Young in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 5066, the Don Young Recognition Act. Don Young was a force of nature. He was so much to so many people. For Alaskans, he was our sole Congressman for 49 years, a giant fighting for the land and people he cherished--49 years for the 49th State. For his family, he was a father, grandfather, and husband with a heart filled with love and stories. For those in this body, he was a colleague quick to say yes to cosponsor legislation and famous for making unexpected friendships. Don was truly a man of the House of Representatives. It was appropriate that, at the start of his lying in state at the Capitol, his casket was processed up the House steps, and his service was held in Statuary Hall, the old House floor. I am glad that we are honoring him today at the conclusion of the 117th Congress, the final Congress in which he served, with this celebration of his life. This bill is a perfect tribute to him in many ways. It highlights moments in his career, from his service in the Army, to his passing of the trans-Alaska pipeline bill, to his work crafting the Magnuson- Stevens fishery act, which started out on the House side and was then called the Young-Buck act. It is fitting that the bill names a volcano in Alaska after him. Don, like the volcano, would often rumble and get heated. Just like the volcanoes in Alaska, Don was very much a part of the foundation of our State. The bill also designates a Job Corps center in Palmer, the Don Young Alaska Job Corps Center. Don always spoke fondly about his time working construction in Alaska, driving a D8 Caterpillar bulldozer, and he always looked out for people who worked with their hands. He was a champion for labor, and I think he would smile knowing that this center, which uplifts future generations of Alaskan workers, bears his name. Lastly, this bill names a Federal building in Fairbanks after the Congressman. This, too, is fitting as Don represented the Alaskan interior during his time in the State legislature. Don lived in the village of Fort Yukon, and Fairbanks was his hub city. Notably, the recently passed defense bill included another tribute to the Congressman, the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022. Don always fought for the Coast Guard, and the bill contained provisions he secured to improve oil spill response in Alaska. He would be very happy knowing that the legislation he authored has been moving through the Congress even after his passing. I thank Chairman Grijalva, Ranking Member Westerman, and leadership on both sides for scheduling this bill. I also thank Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan for sponsoring it and securing its passage in the Senate. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 989, the Native American Language Resource Center Act of 2022.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 989) to establish a Native American language resource center in furtherance of the policy set forth in the Native American Languages Act.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1402, the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2021. Preserving Native American languages is essential to preserving the identity, traditions, and culture of the Native American community. Regrettably, for decades, the Federal Government created policies that sought to suppress the use of Native American languages. In response, President George H.W. Bush signed the Native American Language Act into law, which ensures the rights and freedoms of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native American languages. The bill before us today, the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2021 helps ensure the Federal Government makes good on that promise. Specifically, the bill directs the President to review Federal agencies' compliance with the Native American Language Act requirements and make recommendations to improve interagency coordination. It would also authorize a Federal survey of Native American language use and language revitalization programs' unmet needs every 5 years. These surveys will serve as ``health checks'' to improve targeting of Federal resources for Native American languages. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in preserving Native American languages and pass S. 1402. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, food waste is unacceptable as millions of children and families face food insecurity. By encouraging retailers and organizations to donate food, the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021 will make it easier to donate food and, ultimately, crack down on food waste. While we have more work to do to ensure every American has consistent access to nutritious meals, this bill offers us the opportunity to send a message to Americans that improving food security is a clear priority for every Member of Congress. I thank Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts, Mr. Newhouse of Washington, Ms. Pingree of Maine, and the late Mrs. Walorski of Indiana for their leadership on this bill. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 5329) to amend the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to improve the program, and for other purposes.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3168 to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe water rights settlement introduced by Senator Kelly of Arizona. Representative O'Halleran of Arizona has the House companion to this legislation. This bill will amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe's existing water rights settlement to extend certain deadlines and to increase the authorization to construct the Tribe's rural water system. The rural water system was originally authorized by Congress in 2010 as part of the Tribe's water rights settlement to provide a long-term water supply solution for the Tribe. This bill will accommodate unanticipated but necessary design changes to the Tribe's planned water system. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3308) to authorize the Colorado River Indian Tribes to enter into lease or exchange agreements and storage agreements relating to water of the Colorado River allocated to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3308, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act introduced by Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. This bill authorizes the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, to lease a portion of its Colorado River allocation to assist Arizona communities and to help slow unprecedented water level declines behind Hoover Dam, which supplies water to tens of millions of people. This authority will enable the CRIT to enter agreements to lease or conserve water to support Tribal economic development and to help address water shortages in the Colorado River Basin, which is currently in its 23rd year of a historic drought. I want to commend the Natural Resources Committee Chair Grijalva for his work to develop this important legislation, along with Senator Kelly's efforts to advance this bill in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I have no further requests for time, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 5087) to amend the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to extend, and provide additional support for, the activities of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians, and for other purposes.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the crisis of missing and murdered Native people and trafficked Native women has devastated families and communities and, unfortunately, has gone unaddressed throughout history. These losses are an open wound in our Tribal communities and add to the generational trauma facing Native American families that many of us have experienced. In 2019, Senator Cortez Masto of Nevada, along with Representatives Tom Cole, Sharice Davids, Markwayne Mullin, and Deb Haaland, introduced the Not Invisible Act, which passed last Congress, to assist in combating the longstanding missing and murdered indigenous people, or MMIP, crisis. The Not Invisible Act established an advisory committee on violent crime to make recommendations to the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice on best practices to combat the epidemic of missing persons, murder, and trafficking of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. It also created a point person within the Bureau of Indian Affairs charged with improving the coordination of violent crime prevention efforts across Federal agencies. However, due to COVID-19 and a delayed transition between administrations, the Not Invisible Commission was delayed in organizing and action. S. 5087 will extend the duration of the commission and includes additional support for functions of the commission so they can continue to do their important work for Indian Country. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 5087, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.