Directing the Removal of United States Armed Forces From Hostilities Within or Against Venezuela That Have Not Been Authorized By Congress--

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today, I want to recognize the leadership of Manuel Heart, who retires tomorrow after 15 years as chairman of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and 27 years on Tribal Council.

For time immemorial, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has called the vast landscape of the Southwest home--the mountains, canyons, and rivers that have sustained the Weenuche people for countless generations.

Chairman Heart carried this legacy of stewardship throughout his career. As a young council member, he began a lifetime of service rooted in a deep love for his people and a reverence for their ancestral homeland. Over the decades, he grew into a statesman whose leadership reached far beyond Towaoc, inspiring both Tribal and non- Tribal leaders alike all across this Nation.

As chairman, he helped establish Bears Ears and Camp Hale National Monuments, elevated Tribal voices in the Colorado River Basin, and advocated for the protection of the Dolores River.

After generations of the unjust loss of their ancestral homelands, Chairman Heart led the efforts to secure full Federal trust status for the Tribe's Pinecrest Ranch, reclaiming a piece--a piece--of what was taken.

It has been a privilege to work alongside him, meeting in Towaoc and across the ancestral homeland of the Ute people, rafting the Colorado River to discuss water and climate policy, visiting cultural sites in the Dolores River Basin, and gathering along the Continental Divide to discuss how Camp Hale should tell the Ute story.

He regularly visited my office in Washington, DC. In 2021, I was proud to stand together at the White House to celebrate the restoration of the Bears Ears National Monument. When we introduced the Tribal Access to Clean Water Act, the chairman testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to remind Congress of the Federal Government's responsibility to ensure all of Indian Country has access to clean, reliable drinking water.

Chairman Heart also understood that the strength of a sovereign Tribal nation lies in the preservation and vitality of culture and language for future generations. He led the effort to create the Kwiyagat Community Academy, dedicated to teaching Ute history, language, and culture. Visiting the school with him was a profound reminder of his vision and dedication to his people and their cultural heritage.

Chairman Heart never let the United States forget its promises to Tribal nations and made sure that my office always included the voices of sovereign Tribes when we made decisions. He taught me what true government-to-government respect means. I remain deeply grateful for his friendship, his wisdom, and his example--for his brotherhood. His legacy reminds us that true leadership is measured not only in achievements but in the strength and hope it instills in generations to come.

Colorado and the United States owe Chairman Heart a profound gratitude for his decades of service. We also thank Marie, his wife, and their entire family.

Working with him has been one of the greatest honors of my life and of my time in the Senate, and I wish him well in his retirement as he enjoys well-deserved time with his loved ones.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source