[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 2, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3751-H3752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    FUTURE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CATAWBA INDIAN TRIBE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4463) to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina 
Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4463

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

     SECTION 1. FUTURE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CATAWBA INDIAN TRIBE OF 
                   SOUTH CAROLINA.

       Subsection (d) of section 7 of the Catawba Indian Tribe of 
     South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 (Public Law 
     103-116), is amended by striking ``; however, in no event may 
     an individual be enrolled as a tribal member unless the 
     individual is a lineal descendant of a person on the final 
     base membership roll and has continued to maintain political 
     relations with the Tribe''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. 
Stansbury) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
add extraneous material on H.R. 4463, the bill now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4463, introduced by Representative Norman of South 
Carolina, amends the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina land Claims 
Settlement Act of 1993 to remove Federal restrictions on future 
membership in the Catawba Indian Nation.
  This is a straightforward Tribal sovereignty bill. In 1993, Congress 
passed the Catawba settlement act. That statute restored the Catawba 
Indian Nation's Federal recognition, resolved its land claims, and set 
out several rules for the Tribe in Federal law.
  The law also did something unusual. It put future membership rules 
for the

[[Page H3752]]

Catawba Indian Nation directly into Federal statute. In practical 
terms, Congress, not the Tribe, set the requirements for who could be a 
Tribal member going forward.
  H.R. 4463 restores sovereignty to the Tribe. It removes Federal 
membership restrictions and allows the Catawba Indian Nation to 
determine its own membership under its own constitution and governing 
processes.
  That is how this should work. Deciding who belongs to a Tribe is one 
of the most basic parts of Tribal self-government. It should be handled 
by the Tribe through its own laws, not locked into Federal law by 
Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Norman for his work on this important 
bill. I support H.R. 4463, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4463, which would respect the 
principles of self-determination and self-governance by restoring the 
Catawba Indian Nation's right to determine their own citizenship 
criteria.
  Congress enacted the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina land 
Claims Settlement Act in 1993 to resolve the Nation's longstanding land 
claims and provide for monetary settlement funds. The act included a 
restrictive provision that limited the Nation's enrollment to 
individuals who could demonstrate both lineal descent from the 1962 
final roll and a maintained political relationship with the Tribe.
  While the intention of this requirement was to determine eligibility 
for settlement distributions, which have long been completed, it has 
had further-reaching implications for the Tribe's ability to enroll its 
own members.
  H.R. 4463 is a simple but meaningful fix to remove this restriction 
so that the Nation can determine their own citizenship criteria.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am 
prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4463 is a narrow, commonsense bill. It removes a 
unique Federal restriction on the Catawba Indian Nation and returns 
future membership decisions to the Tribe's own constitution and 
governing processes.
  Membership is a core part of Tribal self-government. This bill 
respects that principle.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Norman for his leadership. I urge 
passage of H.R. 4463, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4463.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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