Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act--Veto Message From the President of the United States

Floor Speech

The Natural Resources Committee is entrusted with working on behalf of Indian Country. While we don't always agree on everything, we have a long history of bipartisan work and a shared commitment to advancing legislation that benefits Tribal communities. H.R. 504 is one clear example of this. It addresses longstanding challenges caused by past Federal policies, and it is an opportunity--I would argue, an obligation--to support the Miccosukee Tribe in their efforts to protect their homelands.

President Trump has undermined that work, vetoing this bill based on unrelated policy disputes and a fundamental misunderstanding of Tribal sovereignty.

H.R. 504 would expand the Miccosukee Reserved Area to include Osceola Camp, which would strengthen the Tribe's ability to self-govern and, importantly, to address serious flooding concerns facing the village. This bipartisan bill is narrow, targeted, and respects Tribal sovereignty.

After reviewing the President's statement regarding his veto, it is very clear that this decision was not limited to the merits of the bill or to any particular policy. Instead, his statement criticizes the Tribe for actions taken to protect the Everglades, their homelands, from environmental risks. It even takes issue with the Tribe's opposition to his administration's unpopular immigration policies.

Moreover, the statement reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Tribal Nations and the obligations that the United States has to those sovereign governments. Let me be clear: Tribes are not special interests. They are not seeking special treatment. They are sovereign nations with legal and moral responsibilities to protect the well-being of their citizens, their homelands, and the United States has a government-to-government responsibility to work with them. Unrelated policy disagreements should never be used to undermine that relationship.

The Miccosukee Tribe has worked for generations to protect their homelands within the Everglades. H.R. 504 would ensure that a historic Tribal village is protected, while allowing for critical restoration efforts to move forward without displacing the community.

It is pretty straightforward. It is noncontroversial. It was broadly universally bipartisan. It never should have been vetoed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 504. Vote ``yes'' on overriding this veto.

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Mr. HUFFMAN. Wasserman Schultz).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing that I must rise to support this veto override of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act.

It is a very commonsense bill, as our unanimous vote in both houses of Congress clearly demonstrated. It is simple. This act would absorb the Osceola Camp into the Miccosukee Reservation and directs the Tribe and Department of the Interior to jointly protect the camp from flooding.

This work is already underway, as we speak, but let's address the erroneous reasons that it was vetoed.

First, it does not appropriate or authorize any new spending. The Congressional Budget Office verified that.

This bill in no way bestows special treatment, as it was alleged in the veto message, because the site wasn't authorized when it was inhabited.

On these points, it appears the President's staff gave him bad advice, bad facts, or both.

The reality is, the Tribe came to the Everglades after being driven from their homes in the early 1800s. As the Miccosukee moved to what is now Everglades National Park, they formed temporary camps on tree islands. The water that flows through our River of Grass was a source of food, water, and a means of transit.

Depot Tiger settled on a tree island at the turn of the 20th century. Her son, John Tiger Poole, was born there and later helped found the Osceola Camp. However, the construction of a new major roadway split their camp, and it dried up the water that they relied upon, forcing the family to move to a different part of their camp.

Family members still live, visit, and protect the land where Depot Tiger's home once stood.

None of these facts are in dispute, as my Republican colleagues, who sponsored and voted for this, well know.

Protecting this land and the Miccosukees' ability to live there must never be sacrificed by party politics or revenge.

This bill was introduced by House and Senate Republicans, backed by the Florida delegation, and approved unanimously. This is hardly a candidate for a veto.

Our Nation made a commitment to the Miccosukee, and hundreds of other Tribes, to protect their lands, resources, and sovereignty. Congress must stand by that commitment and override the President's veto.

The sanctity of Native-American lands is something that is of the utmost importance to Native-American Tribes, and all of us in this country that represent Native-American lands and Native Americans make a commitment regularly that we are going to help protect those rights.

Allowing this veto to stand flies in the face of that, especially because each of us, in both Houses of Congress, lent our votes to this legislation. There are times for vetoes, and I have seen Presidents in both parties issue a veto and then robust and healthy debate plays out on this floor for good reason and Members decide where they want to land, but that is always when we have seen a result that was mixed, where there were people who voted against the bill. No one voted against this bill.

This bill is entirely noncontroversial, and it is so narrowly focused that it makes absolutely no sense other than the interest in vengeance that seems to have emanated in this result.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote to override this inappropriate and unfortunate veto.

Mr. Speaker, to state the obvious, this bill has nothing to do with immigration. It is a very important bill, though, about Tribal sovereignty. It is a well-crafted bill. It is bipartisan. It is noncontroversial. Someone in the White House has decided to use it as a hostage to play politics, very petty and personal politics because of score settling.

They have chosen to do that, but that doesn't mean that all of us have to be used as pawns to advance that nastiness. This veto signal sends a terrible message, and it comes after a year of uncertainty in Indian Country, which included significant funding cuts, workforce reductions, and a withdraw of key executive orders that were designed to support Tribes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing by the Miccosukee Tribe and pass this veto override. Let's ensure that this Tribe continues to have access to the historic Osceola Camp and their homelands remain protected for future generations.

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