[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 120 (Monday, July 14, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H3209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          LAND CONVEYANCES FOR ALASKA NATIVE VIETNAM VETERANS

  (Mr. BEGICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 410, the 
Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 
2025.
  This bill extends the application period for the Alaska Native 
Vietnam era veterans land allotment program by 5 years, ensuring that 
eligible veterans can claim the land that they were promised.
  For decades, thousands of Alaska Native veterans who served in 
Vietnam were unfairly denied the ability to apply for land allotments 
due to their service overseas. While Congress took steps to correct 
this injustice, the executive branch, until recently, has been slow 
processing applications and conveyances, leaving many veterans in 
limbo.
  As of January 2025, out of more than 2,000 eligible veterans, only 41 
applications have been certified, and only 18 veterans have received 
their conveyances.
  Fortunately, executive orders issued by the current administration 
have reinstated Federal land withdrawals that were previously revoked. 
This bill will give these veterans time to participate in the program, 
with ample land for viable selections.
  These veterans served our country honorably, and we need to make sure 
that they are not denied what they were promised.
  I thank the Speaker for consideration of H.R. 410, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.

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