Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, notwithstanding rule XXII, I also ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 562, S. 3857.
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Mr. PADILLA. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I want to thank you and our colleagues for your support of these two measures, which will help Tribes in my home State of California regain control of their rightful ancestral lands and help the Federal Government take steps to fulfill our sacred trust responsibility to Tribal nations.

The first of these bills that we just approved, the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, will establish in trust over 170 acres of land in San Diego County for the Jamul Indian Village of California.

For the Jamul people, what was once over 640 acres of ancestral lands has diminished to just 6 acres--one of the smallest reservations in the country.

In 2005, Tribal members voluntarily moved off the reservation to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development opportunities and become less reliant on the Federal Government. But in order to build a true homeland fitting for their Tribe, the Jamul Indian Village purchased four parcels of land--a combined 172 acres in total--in San Diego County.

By establishing this land in Federal trust, the U.S. Government is now fulfilling our obligation to the Jamul people and returning their Tribal members back to their permanent and proper homeland.

I want to take a moment to thank Representative Darrell Issa for his work in the House of Representatives as well as Senators Schatz and Murkowski here in the Senate.

I also want to thank all the members of the Jamul Indian Village who have been such honorable and relentless advocates for their community.

Thank you, colleagues, for supporting and passing this bill. S. 4000

I also thank you for your support in passing S. 4000, my bill to make sure the Indian Reauthorization Act applies to the Lytton Rancheria of California.

The Indian Reorganization Act addresses a legacy of disenfranchisement for Native communities across the country. It was a landmark bill that helped Tribes reestablish their sovereignty and rebuild their communities after decades of immoral assimilation policies attempted to tear them apart.

The bill we just approved would simply provide clarity that the Lytton Rancheria of California is able to place land into trust through the Department of the Interior's standard land-to-trust process.

I again thank my partners, Senators Schatz and Murkowski, for their support and thank you all for your support in passing both of these measures today.

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