OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3979, Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act of 2014; Providing Consideration of H.R. 5759, Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014; And Providing for Consideration of H.R. 5781, California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 4, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Defense Indigenous Peoples

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern. I would like the Record to reflect my strong agreement with the views expressed by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) earlier about not having amendments in which we can fully discuss as the House the 2-year funding for the Syrian rebel army and also to make sure that we do not have combat troops actively engaged in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I am rising right now to strongly state my deep disappointment in a version of the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange Act that was included in the National Defense Authorization.

Here is the National Defense Authorization bill, and in here are some land bills. Now, one of the land bills in particular that has been included in here is extremely controversial. It is nongermane, and it will lead to the destruction of sacred sites for two major tribal nations in our country. When it does that, when it destroys these sacred sites, it benefits a foreign-owned mining company with troubling ties to the Government of Iran.

I would like to submit for the Record a long list of tribal organizations and other groups who oppose this proposal because of its direct disregard for Native American sacred and cultural sites, Mr. Speaker.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Unfortunately, the amendment to strike this provision from the bill offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), who is the cochair of the Native American Caucus along with me--a bipartisan amendment--was totally rejected by the Rules Committee; so, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule.

The National Defense Authorization Act should not be used as a vehicle to undermine our commitment to protecting religious liberties for tribal nations where so many of those men and women have proudly fought to serve their country, the United States of America.

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