[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 185 (Monday, December 5, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8131-H8132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1550
     ALLOWING YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO TRIBE TO DETERMINE MEMBERSHIP 
                              REQUIREMENTS

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 1560) to amend

[[Page H8132]]

the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of 
Texas Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to 
determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that tribe.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1560

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

     SECTION 1. BLOOD QUANTUM REQUIREMENT DETERMINED BY TRIBE.

       Section 108(a)(2) of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama 
     and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act (25 
     U.S.C. 1300g-7(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(2) any person of Tigua Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Indian 
     blood enrolled by the tribe.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo was originally based in New Mexico and then 
relocated after the 1860 Pueblo Revolt to its present location in El 
Paso County, Texas.
  In 1967, Congress enacted Public Law 90-287, terminating the Federal 
trust relationship with the tribe and placing the tribe under the 
jurisdiction of the State of Texas. In 1987, the Federal trust 
relationship was restored by Public Law 100-89.
  The Restoration Act limited the tribe's membership to individuals 
listed on a certain tribal membership roll and to descendants of such 
individuals as long as they have a minimum of one-eighth degree of 
Ysleta del Sur Indian blood.
  In recent years, the tribe has passed resolutions in favor of 
legislation to eliminate this limitation which is consistent with the 
modern congressional policy of allowing recognized tribes to set their 
own membership when they enroll Indian people.
  H.R. 1560 permits the tribe to enroll Indian members with a minimum 
blood requirement. Similar versions of this bill have been passed by 
the House in the last two Congresses.
  The Committee on Natural Resources has not heard any objection to 
passing this bill again. I think it's a good idea to treat the tribe 
consistently with how Congress treats other federally recognized 
tribes.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. LUJAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1560, a bill that 
removes the blood quantum threshold requirement for membership in the 
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe.
  No other tribe in the State of Texas has had a similar limitation to 
tribal membership conditioned on its recognition by the United States. 
H.R. 1560 corrects this inequity.
  By modifying the tribal enrollment requirements, the tribe will be 
able to preserve the unique character and traditions of their tribe 
based on shared history, customs, and language, in addition to tribal 
blood. This bill will ensure their survival as the oldest community in 
Texas and the only pueblo still in existence in the State.
  H.R. 1560 passed the House under both Republican and Democratic 
leadership in the 106th Congress and in the previous two Congresses. I 
ask my colleagues to again support the passage of this very important 
legislation at this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time he may consume to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Reyes).
  Mr. REYES. I want to thank my good friend from New Mexico for 
yielding me time, as well as thanking Chairman Hastings from Washington 
and Ranking Member Rahall for their help in getting this legislation to 
the floor. I want to thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) 
for handling the bill on the Democratic side.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 1560, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo blood 
quantum bill. This bill is crucial to the members of the Ysleta del Sur 
Pueblo tribe, which is located in El Paso, my district, the 16th 
District of Texas. This will grant them the right to determine their 
own membership. It seeks to correct unjust legislation approved by 
Congress in 1987, which imposed a one-eighth blood quantum Federal 
requirement for tribe membership. This law singles out the Tigua; and 
if not amended, the tribe will lose their federally recognized status 
and the right to self-govern their community.
  The Tigua tribal community was established, as was stated by both the 
chairman and Mr. Lujan, in 1862 after the Pueblo Revolt against the 
Spanish colonization of the Americas, nearly a century before the 
Declaration of Independence, and more than 160 years before the 
annexation of Texas to the United States. This community represents a 
central part of our district's rich culture and our heritage.
  The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo has been an important part of the 
community's cultural heritage for nearly 330 years. The tribe is an 
inseparable part of our history, and it should be allowed to preserve 
its status as a sovereign nation for future generations. So I strongly 
urge all Members to support this bill.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I have no further requests for time, and 
I am prepared to yield back if the gentleman from New Mexico is.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, again, we appreciate the work of the majority 
and the work of Chairman Reyes on this important issue as well.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1560.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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