    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2025)]
    [Senate]
    [Pages S1313-S1314]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

              STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

          By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Schiff):
      S. 689. A bill to approve the settlement of the water rights claims
    of the Tule River Tribe, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
    Indian Affairs.
      Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to reintroduce the Tule River
    Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025. This legislation
    would finalize this multidecade effort by the Tule River Tribe to
    provide clean drinking water to their people and uphold the Federal
    Government's trust and treaty responsibilities.
      The Tule River people are descendants of the Yokuts Indians, a large
    group of Native Americans who occupied what is now known as the San
    Joaquin Valley in California for thousands of years prior to contact
    with settlers.
      In 1856, the Federal Government established their reservation in
    Tulare County, with the specific goal of providing the Tribe with
    arable farmland and the water resources necessary to establish self-
    sufficiency. However, their land was fraudulently stolen from them, and
    in 1873, President Grant issued an Executive order to create a new
    reservation for the Tribe. This land--which is the Tribe's current
    reservation--is comprised of mostly mountainous lands that do not
    provide sufficient irrigation opportunities or water storage
    facilities. Today, the Tule River Tribe struggles to provide clean
    drinking water to their people, and Tule Tribal citizens suffer from a
    low standard of living as a result.
      Since 1971, the Tribe has worked to establish its federally reserved
    water rights to create the viable homeland they were promised and to
    ensure that their citizens have enough water to meet their current and
    future water needs. For decades, the Tribe has worked with the
    Departments of the Interior and Justice as well as downstream water
    users to advance a settlement agreement, thereby avoiding costly
    litigation for both the Tribe and the U.S. Government.
      I am proud to introduce this legislation to quantify the Tribe's
    water right of 5,828 acre-feet per year of surface water and fund $568
    million towards the construction of a water storage project. My
    legislation would also codify what is known as the 2007 Agreement with
    downstream water users, who support this legislation. Finally, the
    legislation would transfer approximately 9,000 acres of Federal land
    currently in the Sequoia National Monument to allow the Tribe to
    protect the watershed headwaters and 800 acres of grazing land to the
    north and south of the reservation boundary.
      It is long past time for the Federal Government to live up to its
    trust and treaty responsibilities to the Tule River Tribe. We must
    codify this water settlement and settle the Tule River Tribe's claims
    against the United States. Access to clean drinking water now and in
    the future is essential to the continued strength of Tribal nations and
    to ensuring the sustainability and viability of future generations.
      Water is a sacred and necessary resource for Tribal nations and for
    all people. As California and the West continue to experience a
    historic megadrought, enactment of our legislation would provide water
    security to Tule River citizens now and into the future.
      I thank Senator Schiff for introducing this legislation with me in
    the Senate. I would also like to thank the Tule River Tribe for their
    decades of hard work to finalize this settlement and the downstream
    water users, including the Tule River Association and the South Tule
    Independent Ditch Company, for working with the Tribe to settle this
    issue and avoid litigation.
      I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Tule River
    Tribe Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 as quickly as
    possible.

    [[Page S1314]]

                                     ______

          By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Van
            Hollen, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Welch):
      S. 696. A bill to provide temporary Ukrainian guest status for
    eligible aliens, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the
    Judiciary.
      Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
    the bill be printed in the Record.
      There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
    printed in the Record, as follows:

                                     S. 696

           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 ``Protecting Our Guests During
         Hostilities in Ukraine Act''.

         SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

           In this Act:
           (1) In general.--Any term used in this Act that is used in
         the immigration laws shall have the meaning given such term
         in the immigration laws.
           (2) Eligible alien.--The term ``eligible alien'' means an
         alien who was paroled under the Uniting for Ukraine parole
         process announced on April 21, 2022.
           (3) Immigration laws.--The term ``immigration laws'' has
         the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(17) of the
         Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(17)).

         SEC. 3. TEMPORARY UKRAINIAN GUEST STATUS.

           (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
         law, an eligible alien shall be considered to be admitted to
         the United States in Ukrainian guest status as of the date on
         which the eligible alien was first paroled into the United
         States.
           (b) Employment Authorization.--An alien in Ukrainian guest
         status under this section is authorized to be employed in the
         United States incident to and for the duration of such
         status.
           (c) Expiration.--Ukrainian guest status under this section
         shall expire on the date that is 120 days after the date on
         which the Secretary of State determines that--
           (1) hostilities in Ukraine have ceased; and
           (2) conditions in Ukraine allow for the safe and reasonable
         return of civilians to Ukraine.
           (d) Revocation.--The Ukrainian guest status of an alien may
         be revoked if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines
         that the alien is described in section 241(b)(3)(B) of the
         Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3)(B)).

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