[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 98 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5608-H5609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REVOCATION OF MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA CHARTER

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 4002) to revoke the charter of incorporation of 
the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma at the request of that tribe, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4002

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

     SECTION 1. REVOCATION OF CHARTER OF INCORPORATION.

       The request of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to surrender the 
     charter of incorporation issued to that tribe and ratified by 
     its members on June 1, 1940, pursuant to the Act of June 26, 
     1936 (25 U.S.C. 501 et seq.; commonly known as the ``Oklahoma 
     Welfare Act''), is hereby accepted and that charter of 
     incorporation is hereby revoked.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Tsongas) 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 material 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.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4002, which is sponsored by our colleague from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), is a one-line bill to grant a request submitted 
by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to revoke its charter of incorporation, 
which was issued in 1940 under a 1936 act of Congress.

                              {time}  1645

  The charter of incorporation is a New Deal era legal instrument 
through which a tribe may administer its business activities. However, 
the tribe has never used its corporate charter because it imposes 
undesirable restrictions on its activities. It instead manages its 
business activities pursuant to the authority of the tribal 
constitution.
  Only Congress may revoke a charter of incorporation duly issued to 
and ratified by a tribe. In accordance with the express wishes of the 
tribe's leadership, our colleague who represents the tribe in the House 
sponsored H.R. 4002. The Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native 
Affairs held a hearing on this bill on March 27, 2014. The Department 
of the Interior testified that it had no objection to the bill, and we 
see no reason for any Member to object to it either.
  I commend my colleague from Oklahoma for performing this important 
constituent service, and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, at the request of the Miami Tribe of 
Oklahoma, H.R. 4002 simply revokes a corporate charter issued to it by 
the Federal Government.
  Under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act and the Indian Reorganization 
Act, many tribes were issued corporate charters in the 1930s and 1940s 
that were aimed at enabling them to better manage their own affairs and 
pursue business relationships with private entities. For some tribes, 
these corporate charters have proven unnecessary and end up hindering 
their business opportunities as they inevitably come up in negotiations 
with private entities and are looked upon with suspicion.
  The charter must be revoked by an act of Congress, and Mr. Mullin, on 
behalf of his constituent, is simply complying with the tribe's request 
through this bill. Similar bills have passed over the years without 
event. I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of this 
noncontroversial bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 
minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), the author of this 
legislation.

[[Page H5609]]

  Mr. MULLIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation that aims to help 
out one of my local tribes, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. I was 
approached by Chief Lankford, and at his request, I crafted this bill 
to remove an inoperable financial charter of the Miami Tribe of 
Oklahoma's. The bill is needed because these charters can only be 
revoked through an act of Congress.
  The tribe has said that this outdated charter often hinders business 
and economic development. It imposes restrictions on the operation of 
business activities that are unrealistic in today's business 
environment. My bill removes the charter and those unneeded barriers 
for business for this tribe. I ask all of my colleagues to support 
this.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is a good piece of 
legislation, and I urge its passage.
  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. 4002.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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