WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK), along with Reps. Betty McCollum (D-MN), Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Jared Huffman (D-CA), introduced H.R. 5257, the Tribal Trust Land Reaffirmation Act. The legislation would address the Supreme Court’s 2009 Carcieri v. Salazar decision by reaffirming that all current land put into trust on behalf of a federally recognized tribe by the Department of the Interior (DOI) is officially reaffirmed as trust land.
After introducing the legislation, the members of Congress released the following statements:
“This decision has caused uncertainty and resulted in heavy legal and administrative burdens for tribes and the federal government, putting millions of dollars’ worth of trust land in legal limbo,” said Congressman Cole. “The Tribal Trust Land Reaffirmation Act will help alleviate this egregious wrongdoing and restore stability for federally recognized tribes that have land in trust. I am thankful to my good friends and allies to Indian country, Reps. McCollum, Rogers, and Huffman, for their collaboration on this legislation and continued efforts to right this wrong.”
“All federally recognized tribal nations deserve the assurance that land they have had placed into trust will be honored. Trust land is vital for tribes to restore their homelands and to meet their communities’ needs for housing, healthcare infrastructure, agriculture, and other resources,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “The Tribal Trust Land Reaffirmation Act will strengthen self-governance by removing the threat and burden of lawsuits that have challenged the trust land of tribes recognized after 1934. Congress must honor our federal trust and treaty responsibilities by passing this legislation to reaffirm the legitimacy of all land placed into trust for all tribal nations.”
“I am proud to join my friend and colleague, Chairman Tom Cole, in introducing this legislation,” said Congressman Rogers. “These lands are currently in a state of legal flux, and passage of the Tribal Trust Land Reaffirmation Act will bring needed certainty to our tribes.”
“All federally recognized tribes deserve to have equal access to economic development opportunities that come with taking land into trust. The disastrous Carcieri decision threw a wrench into this system, pitting tribes against each other and creating a never-ending spiral of litigation,” said Congressman Huffman. “I’m glad be working alongside Rep. Cole, my colleagues, and our many tribal partners to right this wrong, and we won’t stop until this bill becomes law.”
