Puyallup Indian Tribe Land Claims Settlement

PUYALLUP INDIAN TRIBE LAND CLAIMS SETTLEMENT -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 10, 2006)

* Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today the House of Representatives passed S. 1382, a bill which would allow the Puyallup Indian Tribe to convert parts of their tribal land into a Trust held by the Department of the Interior.

* The Puyallup Tribe has worked in partnership with the State of Washington, the Port of Tacoma, Pierce County, the Cities of Fife, Puyallup, and Tacoma to finalize an arrangement that will enable more than $450 million in new investment and create an estimated 4,000 construction jobs and nearly 6,000 permanent jobs in Pierce County. Under the multi-party agreement--which builds on the 1988 Puyallup Indian Land Claims Settlement--relocation of some of the tribal lands will enable construction of a major new container terminal on the Blair Waterway.

* S. 1382 is critical to the success of this broad-based agreement, and I look forward to the President signing this important legislation into law so that it can be fully implemented and the region can realize the benefits. I commend all parties involved on the way they worked together to allow for this expansion which will be an economic driver for the region.

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