[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]]
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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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