[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 8, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3785-H3786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING RODNEY LEWIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. 
Rodney Lewis, a respected member of the Gila River Indian Community, a 
loving father, and a committed Arizonan who made a career fighting for 
water rights for Indian Tribes across the country.
  When he was a boy, Rod, as his friends called him, remembered 
watching his family survive droughts that destroyed crops, and he would 
listen to stories about the damming of the Gila River, which gave life 
to those who lived in the region.
  Mr. Lewis served his country in the United States Army infantry, 
becoming an Army Ranger and rising to the rank of first lieutenant. 
After being honorably discharged, Rod went to law school at the 
University of California, Los Angeles, where his next chapter of 
service began. According to his son, Governor Stephen Lewis, Rod came 
home to serve his people, to bring back that education, that legal 
expertise that the community and many Tribes did not have, which was 
something extraordinary and very significant to the community--and, 
later on, to the entire southwestern United States.
  For over 30 years, Rod not only served as general counsel to his 
community, but he was also sought after across the country as a 
preeminent legal scholar on Tribal rights, water and energy law, and 
Tribal gaming. He was the first Native American attorney to argue and 
win a case before the United States Supreme Court. He was also the 
first Native American attorney to be admitted to the State bar and to 
practice law in Arizona.
  One of Rod's longest lasting accomplishments is the Arizona Water 
Settlements Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush. 
He led the negotiations with the Federal Government, Arizona, and more 
than 30 non-Indian parties for settlement of the community's water 
rights and claims. The legislation set aside billions of gallons of 
water for Arizona Tribes and helped avoid lengthy lawsuits. It also 
helped settle the long-

[[Page H3786]]

lasting needs of water for the entire southern region of Arizona. I had 
the honor of working with Rod on important water issues and saw 
firsthand what his knowledge and passion did for his community and the 
State of Arizona.
  He and his wife, Willardene, met in the first grade and raised a 
close-knit and passionate family. According to Governor Lewis, his 
mother and father were the definition of soulmates.
  My heart goes out to Willardene, Governor Lewis, John, Katherine, and 
the whole community as they mourn their loss and celebrate the legacy 
of a great man.

                          ____________________