[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 26, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1978-H1979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL BISON LEGACY ACT

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2908) to adopt the bison as the national mammal of the 
United States, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2908

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Bison Legacy Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) bison are considered a historical symbol of the United 
     States;
       (2) bison were integrally linked with the economic and 
     spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and 
     sacred ceremonies;
       (3) there are more than 60 Indian tribes participating in 
     the Intertribal Buffalo Council;
       (4) numerous members of Indian tribes are involved in bison 
     restoration on tribal land;
       (5) members of Indian tribes have a combined herd on more 
     than 1,000,000 acres of tribal land;
       (6) the Intertribal Buffalo Council is a tribal 
     organization incorporated pursuant to section 17 of the Act 
     of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the ``Indian 
     Reorganization Act'') (25 U.S.C. 477);
       (7) bison can play an important role in improving the types 
     of grasses found in landscapes to the benefit of grasslands;
       (8) a small group of ranchers helped save bison from 
     extinction in the late 1800s by gathering the remnants of the 
     decimated herds;
       (9) bison hold significant economic value for private 
     producers and rural communities;
       (10) according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture of the 
     Department of Agriculture, as of 2012, 162,110 head of bison 
     were under the stewardship of private producers, creating 
     jobs and providing a sustainable and healthy meat source 
     contributing to the food security of the United States;
       (11) on December 8, 1905, William Hornaday, Theodore 
     Roosevelt, and others formed the American Bison Society in 
     response to the near extinction of bison in the United 
     States;
       (12) on October 11, 1907, the American Bison Society sent 
     15 captive-bred bison from the New York Zoological Park, now 
     known as the ``Bronx Zoo'', to the first wildlife refuge in 
     the United States, which was known as the ``Wichita Mountains 
     Wildlife Refuge'', resulting in the first successful 
     reintroduction of a mammal species on the brink of extinction 
     back into the natural habitat of the species;
       (13) in 2005, the American Bison Society was reestablished, 
     bringing together bison ranchers, managers from Indian 
     tribes, Federal and State agencies, conservation 
     organizations, and natural and social scientists from the 
     United States, Canada, and Mexico to create a vision for the 
     North American bison in the 21st century;
       (14) there are bison herds in National Wildlife Refuges and 
     National Parks;
       (15) there are bison in State-managed herds across 11 
     States;
       (16) there is a growing effort to celebrate and officially 
     recognize the historical, cultural, and economic significance 
     of the North American bison to the heritage of the United 
     States;
       (17) a bison is portrayed on 2 State flags;
       (18) the bison has been adopted by 3 States as the official 
     mammal or animal of those States;
       (19) a bison has been depicted on the official seal of the 
     Department of the Interior since 1912;
       (20) the buffalo nickel played an important role in 
     modernizing the currency of the United States;
       (21) several sports teams have the bison as a mascot, which 
     highlights the iconic significance of bison in the United 
     States;
       (22) in the 2nd session of the 113th Congress, 22 Senators 
     led a successful effort to enact a resolution to designate 
     November 1, 2014, as the third annual National Bison Day; and
       (23) members of Indian tribes, bison producers, 
     conservationists, sportsmen, educators, and other public and 
     private partners have participated in the annual National 
     Bison Day celebration at several events across the United 
     States and are committed to continuing this tradition 
     annually on the first Saturday of November.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADOPTION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN 
                   BISON AS THE NATIONAL MAMMAL.

       (a) In General.--The mammal commonly known as the ``North 
     American bison'' is adopted as the national mammal of the 
     United States.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act or the 
     adoption of the North American bison as the national mammal 
     of the United States shall be construed or used as a reason 
     to alter, change, modify, or otherwise affect any plan, 
     policy, management decision, regulation, or other action by 
     the Federal Government.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) and the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which 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 Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I would prefer to have the primary sponsor 
of this bill, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), speak first.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and 
I thank the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, 
Mr. Chaffetz.
  Today I rise in support of the National Bison Legacy Act. This bill 
will adopt the North American bison as the national mammal of the 
United States.
  I also want to thank my colleague from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem) for 
her cosponsorship of this legislation.

                              {time}  1730

  The bison are dear to me because they have a historical and spiritual 
link to the United States Colored Troops who were first organized in 
1863 to 1866 as the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the four all-Black 
infantry regiments.
  Despite facing relentless racism and woefully inadequate military 
supplies, nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers because of their tireless 
marching and dogged trail skills, they had earned the name of the 
rugged and revered buffalo. By way of reference, my great-great-
grandfather and his brother were members of the Buffalo Soldiers after 
coming out of slavery.
  The North American bison is a unifying symbol in the United States. 
Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison were nearly extinguished 
by the 1880s, with the travesty borne most by Native Americans whose 
fate was intertwined with the buffalo.
  In 1905, visionary ranchers, tribes, industrialists, sport hunters, 
and conservationists joined President Theodore Roosevelt in a 
monumental effort to reverse the American bison's demise. Now over 60 
tribes are working to restore bison to over 1 million acres of Native 
American lands. Bison production on private ranches is in its strongest 
economic condition in more than a decade.
  The National Bison Legacy Act enjoys broad bipartisan support in both 
Chambers of Congress, as well as support from a coalition of over 60 
organizations, including Native American tribes, ranchers, and 
government agencies. The list keeps growing. I look forward to working 
with all of you to make this bill become law and honor a great American 
icon, the bison.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time and ask unanimous 
consent that the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) 
control the remainder of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).
  Mrs. NOEM. I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, today I support the National Bison Legacy Act because it 
is a very important bill to the tribes in my State and also to the 
heritage of South Dakota and the United States. It is a bill that I 
helped Representative Clay of Missouri introduce, and I thank him for 
all of his hard work on the legislation. It has been a long process, 
but we are finally here today to get it across the House floor.
  I am thrilled to sponsor this bill with my colleagues, to raise up an 
enduring symbol of our Nation's Native American heritage, the American 
frontier, and the resilience that has long distinguished America from 
others around the globe.
  The Tatanka is important both physically and spiritually in Native 
American culture. These animals offered food, shelter, tools, and 
clothing. Native Americans could make soap from the fat and homes from 
their hides. Every piece was used, which is why bison were, and 
continue to be, a symbol of survival and a cultural example of how to 
live in a healthy and productive manner. This bill recognizes that.
  There are also lessons to be learned about resilience from these 
animals.

[[Page H1979]]

Bison roamed across most of North America before nearly being wiped 
from existence. Through the efforts of tribes, ranchers, 
conservationists, and others, the species has survived and can once 
again be lifted as a literal and cultural example of productivity from 
which each of us can learn.
  I am proud that my family has raised bison as well. They are majestic 
animals that represent the Plains that we are so proud of and that I am 
so honored to represent today.
  I want to thank the chairman and his staff for bringing this bill to 
the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In conclusion, let me just say one of the most majestic animals on 
the face of the planet is the American bison. You go to see it and you 
just sit in awe and you think of the rich history and the role that it 
has played in our Nation. It serves as a symbol on two of our State 
flags, and it is the seal of the Department of the Interior.
  I just want to say that I hope all Americans--especially the youth--
get a chance to see one of the bison out in the wild. It was close to 
extinction, but it was brought back. There are hundreds of thousands of 
them now. Whether you go to South Dakota or up to Yellowstone, Montana, 
there are places where you can really see these bison out. It really is 
an amazing sight. I think it is appropriate that we move this bill 
today.
  I want to thank Mr. Clay of Missouri and, in particular, Mrs. Noem of 
South Dakota for her recognizing the importance of this issue. I also 
want to thank Mrs. Lummis of Wyoming. She offered an important 
amendment that made an adjustment to the bill. I think this is a smart 
thing for the Congress to do, and I urge its passage.
  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 Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2908, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________