To ratify a conveyance of a portion of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation to Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico, pursuant to the settlement of litigation between the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico, to authorize issuance of a patent for said lands, and to change the exterior boundary of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation accordingly, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3522) to ratify a conveyance of a portion of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation to Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico, pursuant to the settlement of litigation between the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico, to authorize issuance of a patent for said lands, and to change the exterior boundary of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation accordingly, and for other purposes.

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

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. RAHALL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Passage of the pending measure will resolve a longstanding dispute between the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the county of Rio Arriba in New Mexico over a disputed road. The tribe and the county have agreed to a settlement which requires the approval of Congress in order to become effective.

Under this settlement agreement, the tribe will transfer 70.5 acres of land located within its expanded 1988 reservation to the county. In exchange, the county will abandon any and all claims to the disputed road.

I would like to commend our colleague from New Mexico for his super leadership and determination, Mr. Tom Udall, for bringing this bill before us today.

Some of the more difficult and contentious issues that we deal with are those of property lines and jurisdictions of towns, private landowners and Indian tribes. Mr. Udall has never shied away from such matters when they affect the Indian tribes of New Mexico, and I commend him. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

H.R. 3522 implements a settlement agreement worked out by the tribe and Rio Arriba County. As a result, the parties resolve a long-lasting litigation by conveying tribal lands to the county for transportation purposes.

I support the settlement along with the administration. I urge my colleagues to do the same thing.

We have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to the consideration of H.R. 3522, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.