[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5574-H5575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR THE EQUITABLE SETTLEMENT OF CERTAIN INDIAN LAND DISPUTES 
           REGARDING LAND IN ILLINOIS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 550) to provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian 
land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 550

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

     SECTION 1. SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS.

       (a) Jurisdiction Conferred on the United States Court of 
     Federal Claims.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the United States Court of Federal Claims shall have 
     jurisdiction to hear, determine, and render judgment on a 
     land claim of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma under its Treaty 
     with the United States of America signed at Grouseland August 
     21, 1805 (7 Stat. 91) (commonly known as the ``Treaty of 
     Grouseland''), without regard to the statute of limitations, 
     including section 2501 of title 28, United States Code, and 
     any delay-based defense, no matter how characterized.
       (2) Jurisdiction expiration.--Not later than 1 year after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the jurisdiction conferred 
     to the United States Court of Federal Claims under paragraph 
     (1) shall expire unless the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma files a 
     land claim under that paragraph.
       (b) Extinguishment of Title and Claims.--Except for a claim 
     filed under subsection (a)(1), all other claims, including 
     any and all future claims, of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, or 
     any member, descendant, or predecessor in interest to the 
     Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, to land in the State of Illinois are 
     extinguished.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. 
Elfreth) 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 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on S. 550, 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.
  S. 550, introduced by then-Senator Mullin and championed by Chairman 
Cole in this Chamber provides a narrow pathway for the Miami Tribe of 
Oklahoma to bring its treaty-based land claim related to certain lands 
in Illinois before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
  Now located in Oklahoma, the Tribe was originally based in the Great 
Lakes and Midwest region. The 1805 Treaty of Grouseland recognized the 
Miami Tribe's title to lands in the Wabash River watershed and ensured 
that the U.S. would not purchase portions of that territory without 
Tribal consent.
  In the decades that followed, additional treaties and Federal 
policies led to the large-scale cessions of the Tribe's land, including 
their historic homelands in Illinois. These lands are central to this 
legislation, as they were later patented to non-Native settlers without 
properly extinguishing Tribal title. This forms the basis of the 
Tribe's treaty-based claim.
  Congress enacted the Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946, which 
established the Indian Claims Commission, or ICC, to provide a forum 
for Tribes seeking monetary compensation for claims against the U.S. 
that predated August 13, 1946.
  The ICC did not restore land. Rather, it awarded monetary damages 
based on the land's value at the time of the taking. At the time of the 
ICC, the Miami Tribe preferred the return of the land in Illinois over 
cash awards. The Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946 required all 
claims to be filed within 5 years of enactment and barred late claims 
from being filed. The ICC ceased operations in 1978, and the U.S. Court 
of Federal Claims assumed all remaining matters.
  This legislation provides a narrow jurisdictional pathway for the 
Miami Tribe to bring its treaty-based land claim before the U.S. Court 
of Federal Claims within 1 year of the enactment of this legislation.
  This legislation only authorizes monetary relief against the U.S. and 
precludes any equitable relief or recovery against private landowners. 
Finally, this legislation extinguishes the Tribe's remaining land and 
title claims to the specified Illinois lands.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Cole for being a long-time champion of 
this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 550 would provide the U.S. Court of Federal Claims 
with jurisdiction over the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma's land claim in east 
central Illinois.
  Prior to being forcibly removed from their homeland, the Miami Tribe 
resided in the Great Lakes region.
  In 1805, the Miami Tribe, the Eel River Band, and the Wea signed the 
Treaty of Grouseland with the United States. The 1805 treaty provided 
that land south of the Great Lakes in the

[[Page H5575]]

Wabash River watershed were not ceded and the United States would not 
purchase lands without the consent of the signatories.
  However, the United States later violated this treaty when lands were 
placed into the public domain and parcels were transferred to settlers 
without extinguishing the Tribe's title to the land. This has resulted 
in difficulties and confusion with the current landowners as the Miami 
Tribe maintains a claim to the title.
  S. 550 would allow the Tribe 1 year to bring their claim before the 
U.S. Court of Federal Claims and would extinguish any other of the 
Tribe's claims to the land.
  The bill provides the Tribe with a path forward to get their day in 
court but does not dictate an ultimate outcome.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), who is the lead sponsor of the House companion to 
this bill and who is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend, Chairman 
Westerman, for yielding me the time and for bringing this important 
piece of legislation to the floor. I also thank Congresswoman Betty 
McCollum of Minnesota for her collaboration, and Secretary Markwayne 
Mullin for his work on this legislation during his time in the Senate.
  I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of S. 550, the companion 
legislation to my bill, H.R. 2827. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma have 
been waiting more than 10 years for this legislation to pass, and today 
is finally that day.
  Mr. Speaker, that would not be possible without Chairman Westerman's 
help and support, and I am very appreciative.
  Resolving this land claim will remedy a mistake made by the Federal 
Government roughly two centuries ago. In 1805, the Miami Tribe, Eel 
River Band, and Wea, signed the Treaty of Grouseland, which, under 
Article IV, reserved all lands within the Wabash River watershed and 
land located west of the Wabash River, which is in present-day 
Illinois. From 1805 to 1840, the United States transferred 2.6 million 
acres of this land to non-Native settlers without having acquired title 
from the Tribes. As a result, title to that land is still held by the 
Miami Tribe's superior claim to title, and the Tribe never consented to 
that land being purchased.
  S. 550 will allow the Miami Tribe to have their rightful day in court 
and extinguish all claims to this land in Illinois. This 
straightforward, bipartisan piece of legislation will not only provide 
finality for the Miami Tribe, but also certainty to the landowners and 
farmers in Illinois who have been living on this land for generations.

  As a Tribal member myself, it is an honor to help a fellow Tribal 
nation and be a voice here in Washington. Today is a testament of 
Congress upholding its trust and treaty responsibility, and I would 
like to thank Chairman Westerman again for his support. Chairman Hurd, 
Ranking Member Huffman, and Ranking Member Leger Fernandez were also 
instrumental, and I appreciate the efforts of their staff and their 
support and efforts on this important piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of S. 550.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Cole for his remarks, I 
have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to thank Chairman Cole 
for his dedication to this bill and seeing it through.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bipartisan piece of legislation, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 550, 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, S. 550.
  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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