National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment in its current form and at this particular time.

This amendment, as it has been pointed out, directly impacts two federally recognized tribal nations: the Navajo Nation and the Zuni Pueblo Nation in New Mexico.

They have been working with the Department of Defense to resolve the disposition of this excess Federal land. The Navajo is one of the tribes that would receive the land in transfer, and it is opposed to some of the language that is still occurring in this amendment. The Pearce amendment, unfortunately, claims a provision that would require a right-of-way in perpetuity to the Navajo, and the Navajo agrees, it is my understanding, to work toward some of the land transfer.

I ask the gentleman: Are they aware that the Navajo doesn't agree in having this land transfer go in perpetuity and that it would like to work something else out?

I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Chair, there is some disagreement as to how this language should be structured. I don't think we should be pushing through something that the Navajo Nation now finds controversial but that wasn't controversial when working with the Department of Defense and making sure that they had the right-of-way and access to the land.

It is a sovereign nation. There are only 10 minutes of debate. There seems to be a little bit of uncertainty as to where the Navajo Nation is coming down on the particular language that the gentleman has. I do not fault the gentleman for bringing the language forward, as Chairman Bishop has changed from what the original conversation had been between the sovereign nation and the Department of Defense by putting the perpetuity in it.

I believe we should respect the right of sovereignty of the tribe, and I believe at this time we should defeat the amendment. I would like to work with the gentleman to come up with language that is acceptable both for the Department of Defense and the two tribal nations. They were so very close. I would like to make that happen.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Will the gentleman yield?

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I look forward to working with the gentleman. I am sure we can come up with an accomodation that will make everyone satisfied.

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