Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2005

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 29, 2006, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Economic Impact Issues in Export-Import Bank Reauthorization.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold an oversight hearing on Wednesday, March 29, at 9:30 a.m., on the impact of the elimination of MTBE.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``U.S.-China Economic Relations Revisited.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., to hold a closed briefing on U.S.-India Atomic Energy Cooperation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 29, at 9:30 a.m., in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a business meeting on the following bills:

(1) S. 2078, Indian Gaming Regulatory Act amendments.

(2) S. 1899, Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act amendments.

(3) S. 2245, Indian Youth Telemental Health Demonstration Project Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Judicial Nominations'' on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Panel I: Members of Congress, TBA.

Panel II: Brian M. Cogan to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York; Michael Ryan Barrett to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas M. Golden to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 29, 2006, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committe on Aging be authorized to meet Wednesday, March 29, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Dirksen 106 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``What's in a Game? State Regulation of Violent Video Games and the First Amendment'' on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 2 p.m. in SD 226.

Witness List

Panel One: Reverend Steve Strickland, brother of Arnold Strickland, police officer killed by teenager in 2004, Fayette County, AL; Dr. Elizabeth Carll, Ph.D., Chair of Interactive Media Committee, Media Psychology Division, American Psychological Association Long Island, NY; Dr. Dmitri Williams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Speech Communications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL; Dr. David Bickham, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Center on Media and Child Health, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA.

Panel Two: Patricia E. Vance, President, Entertainment Software Rating Board New York, NY; Representative Jeff Johnson, Assistant Majority Leader, Minnesota House of Representatives, St. Paul, MN; Paul Smith, Partner, Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, DC; Professor Kevin Saunders, J.D., Ph.D., Professor of Law, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on U.S.-Burma Relations.

Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 29, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on U.S. nonproliferation strategy and the roles and missions of the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy in nonproliferation in review of the Defense Authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years Defense progam.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. for a hearing entitled, The War on Terrorism: How Prepared is the Nation's Capital? Part (II).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 29 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearings is to receive testimony on S. 1832, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease oil and gas resources underlying Fort Reno, OK, to establish the Fort Reno Management Fund, and for other purposes; S. 2150, to direct the Secretary of Interior to convey certain Bureau of Land Management land to the city of Eugene, OR; and H.R. 3507, to transfer certain land in Riverside County, CA, and San Diego County, CA, from the Bureau of Land Management to the United States to be held in trust for the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, and for other purposes; S. 1056 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the city of Henerson, NV certain Federal land located in the city, and for other purposes; and S. 2373 to provide for the sale of approximately 132 acres of public land to the city of Green River, WY at fair market value.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Seapower authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 29, 2006, at 3:30 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on Navy/Marine Corps Force structure and future capabilities in review of the Defense Authorization request for Fiscal Year 2007 and the future years Defense Program.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate March 29, at 2:30 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on global strike plans and programs in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 10 a.m., on Importance of Basic Research to U.S. Competitiveness.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3507) to transfer certain land

in Riverside County, California, and San Diego County, California, from the Bureau of Land Management to the United States to be held in trust for the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3507 is a noncontroversial bill to transfer two parcels of public land to the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians. Located in Riverside County, California, these lands total 991 acres in size.

The lands subject to the transfer are currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management, but they contain archaeological, cultural and wildlife resources that are extremely valuable to the tribe.

In the last Congress, the Resources Committee held a hearing on a similar bill to transfer the same lands. In this hearing, both the tribe and the Interior Department testified that these lands belong in Tribal ownership.

After reporting that legislation, it was learned that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had certain concerns relating to the management and use of the lands, and Congress adjourned before the problem could be resolved. These concerns have been addressed through a memorandum of understanding between the tribe and the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the sponsor of last year's bill has introduced H.R. 3507 to reference the MOU.

Because the lands are part of the Pechanga's ancient heritage, the tribe has adopted a resolution to zone them for conservation purposes. To reinforce the Tribe's intent, this bill requires the tribe to use the properties only for the protection and preservation of cultural, archaeological and wildlife resources.

The Pechanga Tribe should be commended for seeking to care for lands that are so important to preserving the heritage of its tribal members. In this spirit, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3507.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer H.R. 3507, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2005, for final passage in the House. This bill will transfer approximately 990 acres of land currently being held by the Bureau of Land Management to the United States to be held in trust for the Pechanga tribe as apart of their reservation.

The Pechanga people have called the Temecula Valley, which is located in my district, their home for more than 10,000 years. They like to say that they have governed themselves and cared for their lands since time immemorial.

This bill transfers into trust land that has immense historical, archaeological, and cultural significance for the Pechanga tribe. It also includes a memorandum of understanding that has been agreed upon by the Pechanga Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This M.O.U. provides restrictions that limit the use of this land to only preservation, protection and maintenance of its historical and cultural artifacts and its resources.

It is widely agreed that the BLM currently has more land in its possession than it can properly care for and maintain. I view the opportunity to return this mostly rocky hillside area to those who are willing and have the resources to provide proper maintenance and care for the land.

Mr. Speaker, the Pechanga have done an exemplary job of integrating and investing in their community, both on their reservation land and beyond. They have been good neighbors to the City of Temecula, and have demonstrated that they can properly care for and maintain Federal land transferred to their care.

I hope that my colleagues will join me today in voting to pass this bill out of the House.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 29, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. l832, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease oil and gas resources underlying Fort Reno, OK, to establish the Fort Reno Management Fund, and for other purposes; S. 2150, to direct the Secretary of Interior to convey certain Bureau of Land Management Land to the City of Eugene, OR, and H.R. 3507, to transfer certain land in Riverside County, CA, and San Diego County, CA, from the Bureau of Land Management to the United States to be held in trust for the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150.

For further information, please contact Dick Bouts at 202-224-7545 or Sara Zecher 202-224-8276.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3507, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2005.

The Pechanga Tribe has sought for years to acquire this land because of its importance as an ancestral burial site.

This bill demonstrates respect for the sovereignty of the tribe and recognizes the importance of preserving America's rich Native American Heritage.

It demonstrates respect for the sovereignty of tribes by ensuring that these lands are not

arbitrarily separated from their tribal community.

In 2002 I co-sponsored H.R. 3476 to protect the ancestral land of Great Oak Ranch because I understand the significance of these sites to both the tribe and the surrounding community.

In preserving these lands we show that we are aware of our Congressional responsibility to ensure that archaeological, historical, and cultural sites from America's Native American heritage are not taken from future generations.

We must continue the work begun today to restore and strengthen our awareness of America's rich Native American history.