To amend the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that tribe.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1560) to amend

the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that tribe.

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

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

The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo was originally based in New Mexico and then relocated after the 1860 Pueblo Revolt to its present location in El Paso County, Texas.

In 1967, Congress enacted Public Law 90-287, terminating the Federal trust relationship with the tribe and placing the tribe under the jurisdiction of the State of Texas. In 1987, the Federal trust relationship was restored by Public Law 100-89.

The Restoration Act limited the tribe's membership to individuals listed on a certain tribal membership roll and to descendants of such individuals as long as they have a minimum of one-eighth degree of Ysleta del Sur Indian blood.

In recent years, the tribe has passed resolutions in favor of legislation to eliminate this limitation which is consistent with the modern congressional policy of allowing recognized tribes to set their own membership when they enroll Indian people.

H.R. 1560 permits the tribe to enroll Indian members with a minimum blood requirement. Similar versions of this bill have been passed by the House in the last two Congresses.

The Committee on Natural Resources has not heard any objection to passing this bill again. I think it's a good idea to treat the tribe consistently with how Congress treats other federally recognized tribes.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to yield back if the gentleman from New Mexico is.

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

I want to thank my good friend from New Mexico for yielding me time, as well as thanking Chairman Hastings from Washington and Ranking Member Rahall for their help in getting this legislation to the floor. I want to thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) for handling the bill on the Democratic side.

I rise today in support of H.R. 1560, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo blood quantum bill. This bill is crucial to the members of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe, which is located in El Paso, my district, the 16th District of Texas. This will grant them the right to determine their own membership. It seeks to correct unjust legislation approved by Congress in 1987, which imposed a one-eighth blood quantum Federal requirement for tribe membership. This law singles out the Tigua; and if not amended, the tribe will lose their federally recognized status and the right to self-govern their community.

The Tigua tribal community was established, as was stated by both the chairman and Mr. Lujan, in 1862 after the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish colonization of the Americas, nearly a century before the Declaration of Independence, and more than 160 years before the annexation of Texas to the United States. This community represents a central part of our district's rich culture and our heritage.

The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo has been an important part of the community's cultural heritage for nearly 330 years. The tribe is an inseparable part of our history, and it should be allowed to preserve its status as a sovereign nation for future generations. So I strongly urge all Members to support this bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1560, a bill that removes the blood quantum threshold requirement for membership in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe.

No other tribe in the State of Texas has had a similar limitation to tribal membership conditioned on its recognition by the United States. H.R. 1560 corrects this inequity.

By modifying the tribal enrollment requirements, the tribe will be able to preserve the unique character and traditions of their tribe based on shared history, customs, and language, in addition to tribal blood. This bill will ensure their survival as the oldest community in Texas and the only pueblo still in existence in the State.

H.R. 1560 passed the House under both Republican and Democratic leadership in the 106th Congress and in the previous two Congresses. I ask my colleagues to again support the passage of this very important legislation at this time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes).

Mr. Speaker, again, we appreciate the work of the majority and the work of Chairman Reyes on this important issue as well.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on June 28, 2012, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a business meeting to consider the following:

H.R. 443, To provide for the conveyance of certain property

from the United States to the Maniilaq Association located in

Kotzebue, Alaska; H.R. 1560, To amend the Ysleta del Sur

Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas

Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to

determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that

tribe; H.R. 1272, To provide for the use and distribution of

the funds awarded to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, et al, by

the United States Court of Federal Claims in Docket Numbers

19 and 188, and for other purposes; S. 134, A bill to

authorize the Mescalero Apache Tribe to lease adjudicated

water rights; S. 1065, A bill to settle land claims within

the Fort Hall Reservation; S. 2389, A bill to deem the

submission of certain claims to an Indian Health Service

contracting officer as timely; and S. 3193, A bill to make

technical corrections to the legal description of certain

land to be held in trust for the Barona Band of Mission

Indians, and for other purposes.

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Thursday, March 22, 2012, at 2:15 p.m. in Room 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct legislative hearings on S. 1684, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments

of 2011; S. 1898, A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain property from the United States to the Maniilaq Association located in Kotzebue, Alaska; and H.R. 1560, A bill to amend the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to determine blood quantum requirements for membership in that tribe.

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224 2251.