[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 77 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE HELPING EXPEDITE AND ADVANCE RESPONSIBLE TRIBAL HOMEOWNERSHIP 
                              (HEARTH) ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 25, 2012

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 205, the HEARTH 
Act.
  Under current law, many Native Americans living on tribal land have 
to fight government bureaucracy to buy a home. Just like other 
Americans pursuing the American dream of homeownership, they find a 
house, get a mortgage approved, and make an offer. It's at this point 
that the dream often turns into a nightmare for tribal members. Before 
they can close on a house, they have to get approval from the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA) to lease the land--and this approval process can 
take as long as two years. During this extremely long wait, the 
mortgage approval usually expires and sellers can rarely wait this 
long. With such a daunting and long process, it's no wonder that tribal 
members give up and decide to move off the reservation and away from 
their families and communities, just to own a home.
  The good news is that the bill before us today would allow tribal 
governments to lease the land directly, reducing the approval time and 
making this process much easier for Native Americans to buy homes on 
tribal land. The tribes would initially receive approval for their own 
leasing regulations from the Secretary of Interior, and could then 
process lease applications internally, rather than having them all be 
processed by the BIA. This leasing structure would also encourage 
community and economic development on tribal lands, and spur renewable 
energy development in Indian Country. Tribal governments will be able 
to control their own land and direct the necessary resources to 
construct community centers and fill commercial spaces. This tribal 
control is critical, and I wholeheartedly support it and encourage my 
colleagues to join me in voting yes.
  This bill is badly needed so that Native Americans do not have to 
endlessly wait to pursue the American dream. As a member of the 
Congressional Native American Caucus, I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 205.

                          ____________________