[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 77 (Monday, June 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H4602-H4603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TAKING CERTAIN LAND INTO TRUST FOR MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate

[[Page H4603]]

bill (S. 1967) to make technical corrections to the status of certain 
land held in trust for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, to take 
certain land into trust for that Band, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1967

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. STATUS OF CERTAIN INDIAN LANDS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law--
       (1) all land taken in trust by the United States for the 
     benefit of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians on or 
     after December 23, 1944, shall be part of the Mississippi 
     Choctaw Indian Reservation;
       (2) all land held in fee by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw 
     Indians located within the boundaries of the State of 
     Mississippi, as shown in the report entitled ``Report of Fee 
     Lands owned by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians'', 
     dated September 28, 1999, on file in the Office of the 
     Superintendent, Choctaw Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
     Department of the Interior, is hereby declared to be held by 
     the United States in trust for the benefit of the Mississippi 
     Band of Choctaw Indians; and
       (3) land made part of the Mississippi Choctaw Indian 
     Reservation after December 23, 1944, shall not be considered 
     to be part of the ``initial reservation'' of the tribe for 
     the purposes of section 20(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the Indian Gaming 
     Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719(b)(1)(B)(ii)).
       (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to alter the application or the requirements of the 
     Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) with 
     respect to any lands held by or for the benefit of the 
     Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians regardless of when such 
     lands were acquired.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Saxton) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on S. 1967.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield the 
balance of my time to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) for 
the purposes of controlling the time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WICKER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I thank my friend from New Jersey for allowing me to control the 
balance of the time.
  Madam Speaker, this is a simple bill which was approved in the Senate 
last week by unanimous consent. The bill does three things. First, it 
moves all trust land taken for the benefit of the Mississippi Band of 
Choctaw Indians since December 23, 1944, and makes it part of the 
Mississippi Choctaw Indian Reservation.
  Second, the bill takes all land owned in fee by the Mississippi Band 
of Choctaw Indians and incorporates it into trust land. And third, the 
bill makes these two provisions without affecting the statutes of the 
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
  All lands affected by this legislation are owned by the Mississippi 
Band of Choctaw Indians, with some parcels dating back many decades. 
During the past 20 years, Madam Speaker, the tribe has attempted time 
and time again to transfer the land through the regular process 
established by the United States Department of Interior and the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs. Unfortunately, the Department has failed to act on 
these applications in an efficient and prompt manner.
  The applications filed by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians are 
supported by the State of Mississippi and the county and municipal 
governments in the vicinity of the property.
  What is at stake here are critically needed services for the tribe. A 
new school, housing, and a medical clinic are among the projects which 
have been delayed because of inaction by the Department of the Interior 
and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The existing school has had dozens of 
safety violations issued by the BIA, and the medical clinic will not 
pass its next inspection. Just as important, thousands of Mississippi 
Choctaws are living in unacceptable conditions due to the lack of 
available housing.
  Madam Speaker, the tribe has followed the regular process and lived 
up to its obligations. But, for whatever reasons, perhaps a lack of 
resources, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs have failed to meet the Government's duty. That is why we need 
to provide this legislative remedy and allow the tribe to move forward 
with building a new school, a medical clinic, and housing for its 
members.
  Led by their capable Chief, Phillip Martin, the Mississippi Band of 
Choctaw Indians is making great strides in education, job creation, and 
the preservation of their cultural heritage. The Government should not 
be standing in the way of their continued progress.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill 
and sending it on to the President.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, this legislation would bring some 
8,700 acres of land into Federal trust status for the Mississippi Band 
of Choctaw Indians outside of the regulatory framework established for 
bringing Indian land into trust. It is important for the tribe to have 
this land put into trust status in order to continue their economic 
development plans.
  The Bureau of Indian affairs has indicated that it will take at least 
a year for them to process the land in accordance with the land-into-
trust regulations. As we hear from numerous tribes, this would have a 
detrimental effect on the tribe's current and future economic 
development and expansion.

                              {time}  1445

  The administration supports this legislation. I urge my colleagues to 
support it as well.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WICKER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's kind 
remarks in support of this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1967.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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