Chairman Barrasso Addresses the National Congress of American Indians for Tribal Impact Days

"Members of the National Congress of American Indians, tribal leaders, and distinguished guests, I want to wish you a good morning and a warm welcome to Washington.

"I want to extend a special welcome this morning to any members from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes from the Wind River Indian Reservation in my home state of Wyoming.

"I also want to thank the National Congress of American Indians and President Cladoosby for inviting me to provide remarks for your annual Tribal Impact Days. It is fitting that Indian Country would host the Impact Days as Congress hits the ground running this fall.

"When tribes speak with a unified voice and presence, they deliver their message with strength -- and that has an impact. Your unity reflects the strength of the Indian nations in supporting one another, and advancing strong Indian policy and legislation.

"Your presence generates the necessary debate, develops awareness, and shines a light on these issues. Your voice forms the foundation for sound policy and legislation.

"I have to reiterate what I said in the congressional response to the 2015 State of Indian Nations Address -- that the best solutions come from Indian Country. That's why it's important that Congress and the Obama administration look to tribal leaders first.

"The perseverance and dedication of Indian tribal leaders have been evident as you tackle the tough issues of juvenile justice, alcohol and substance abuse, and victims of crime.

"We cannot overlook these longstanding challenges as we pursue various legislative initiatives. Tribal nations are diverse and complex.

"Some matters -- such as irrigation, timber, or fishing -- may affect one part of Indian Country and not others. They may affect different areas in different ways.

"These differences can still be cause for unity in supporting all tribes to achieve better economies and more prosperous communities.

"As you have heard before, what is good for Indian Country is good for America. So even local achievements can help lead to a greater good.

"As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I am committed to listening to Indian Country.

"I also made a commitment to work with you in advancing measures that will help Indian communities to prosper and to enjoy healthier lives. To do that, the committee had to get out of Washington.

"The committee has held four field hearings in Wyoming, Oklahoma, Montana, and Alaska. We have received testimony on such topics as drugs and alcohol, economic development, natural resource development, tribal courts, and recidivism.

"Moreover, the committee held six listening sessions this year alone. One particular matter that has been a recurring theme has been the impact of alcohol and substance abuse on so many areas -- crime and suicide rates, academic achievement, family unity, and so on.

"While this seems like an almost insurmountable problem, I urge all of you to remain engaged in finding a path forward, in helping to turn communities around, and in giving hope to young people.

"To address some of these issues, I introduced the SURVIVE Act, which stands for Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment.

"For too long, tribes have not received a fair share of the Crime Victims Fund, and victims of crime in tribal communities did not have the access to the resources they needed. This bill requires the Department of the Interior to use a dedicated funding stream to administer a tribal grant program for victim services.

"It also expands the types of programs and activities the tribes can administer. I am pleased to tell you that this bill passed the committee in July, and I look forward to it passing the full Senate this fall.

"In January, President Cladoosby invited me to give the congressional response to the 2015 State of Indian Nations Address. I outlined a few committee priorities such as jobs, energy and natural resource development, healthcare, juvenile justice, and tribal self-governance.

"In our efforts, the committee not only had to get out of Washington, we had to get Washington out of Indian Country. By that, I mean get the bureaucracy and red tape out of Indian programs.

"With these principles in mind, I have been pleased to work with Vice Chairman Tester to pass major Indian legislation. The committee has passed 18 bills in the past nine months. Six of these have passed the full Senate, and we anticipate more coming to the Senate floor.

"The first of these was a bill I Introduced with Vice Chairman Tester, called the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015. This legislation has been around in various forms for several years -- and it all started with conversations we had with tribal leaders.

"This bill will cut through Washington's red tape and empower tribes to develop their own energy resources. It will also streamline the approval of many energy development transactions on Indian lands -- things like business agreements, right-of-ways, and leases.

"More energy development means more jobs across Indian Country -- and more American energy that will contribute to our national energy security.

"We passed this legislation out of the committee at one of the first business meetings that I called as chairman. I expect that we will see this bill pass the full Senate soon.

"It has bipartisan support, it's good for America, and there's no reason we can't get it signed into law.

"Another bill, developed by tribal leaders years ago, dealt with better tribal government infrastructure. The Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2015 encourages good governance which, in turn, creates a healthy environment.

"That means tribal businesses can flourish, economies can grow, and tribal members can prosper. To do that, tribes must have the tools to govern their own communities.

"This legislation respects tribal sovereignty by giving tribes greater certainty in taking over the administration of programs at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It also gives the Interior Department more guidance on compact negotiations and decision-making for those BIA programs.

"The committee easily passed this legislation -- again, with bipartisan support.

It quickly passed the full Senate. I hope the House passes it soon, so the president can sign it into law.

"I would all urge you to work with our committee in advancing some measures that are at the heart of Indian Country. Back in July, we also passed the TIRES Act, which stands for the Tribal Infrastructure and Roads Enhancement and Safety Act.

"This bill would streamline the process to start and complete safety projects, increases available funding for tribal road programs, and reinstates the tribal facility bridge program. We were able to make sure that many of these important provisions were included in the Highway Bill, which passed the Senate in August.

"Likewise, reauthorizing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act to improve tribal housing is also at the top of the list of bills the Senate may consider this fall.

"I introduced the IRRIGATE Act to hold Washington accountable to the promises it made to Indian Country's farmers and to fix broken water-delivery systems. This will help rejuvenate several tribes' agricultural economies. I hope to see this advance through the Senate, as well.

"There are two Senate bills dealing with the safety of native children that are pending before the House of Representatives that, with your help, could be signed into law this Congress.

"But there is much work to be done. Longstanding land-into-trust issues remain and need to be addressed by this committee. That is why I introduced the Interior Improvement Act, to clarify and improve the Department of the Interior's trust-land acquisition process for Indian tribes.

"In addition to codifying and streamlining portions of that process, the bill restores the Secretary of the Interior's authority to take land into trust for ALL federally recognized tribes, and reaffirms the status of Indian lands already taken into trust.

"It will clarify this issue once and for all. This bill has broad support from Indian Country, and has been in front of committee members for several weeks. I look forward to voting on it soon.

"Beyond legislation, the committee also serves an important oversight role. Today, we are holding an oversight hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's Gold King Mine disaster in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

"Tribes in these states, along the Animas and San Juan rivers, have been forced to deal with the aftermath of the EPA's August 5th chemical spill. This spill dumped some 3 millions of gallons of toxic chemicals into the Cement Creek, which flows into the Animas River.

"Affected tribes, including the Navajo Nation and the Southern Ute, deserve answers from the EPA about the cause and response.

"I invite all of you to come back to this room today at 2:15 PM, when we will hold a hearing on this matter. This will be the start of our examination of the EPA's actions and of the impacts on tribal communities in the area.

"As chairman of this committee, I intend to continue working on all of these issues -- to help tribes, their economies, and all of their members achieve prosperity, healthier lives, and greater success.

"Thank you again for the invitation to speak to you today. I wish you all a wonderful legislative conference."

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