May 31, 1918 Act Repeal Act

Mr. Speaker, on December 1, 2014, on Roll Call #532 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended H.R. 5629-- Strengthening Domestic Nuclear Security Act of 2014, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 1, 2014, on Roll Call #533 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 3438--National Laboratories Mean National Security Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 2, 2014, on Roll Call #534 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 2040--Blackfoot River Land Exchange Act of

2014, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 2, 2014, on Roll Call #535 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 5050--May 31, 1918 Act Repeal Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 2, 2014, on Roll Call #536 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended H.R. 3572--To revise the boundaries of certain John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System units, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 2, 2014, on Roll Call #537 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 5739--No Social Security for Nazis Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 2, 2014, on Roll Call #538 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and H.R. 3240--Regulation D Study Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 2, 2014, on Roll Call #539 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended H.R. 2366--World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 3, 2014, on Roll Call #540 on H. Res. 766, Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5771) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions and make technical corrections, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 647) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the tax treatment of ABLE accounts established under State programs for the care of family members with disabilities, and for other purposes. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On December 3, 2014, on Roll Call #541 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and H.R. 5769--``To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 2015, and for other purposes.'', I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 3, 2014, on Roll Call #543 on the Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 5771, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 3, 2014, on Roll Call #544 on Passage of H.R. 5771--Tax Increase Prevention Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 3, 2014, on Roll Call #545 on Passage of H.R. 647-- Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 4, 2014, on Roll Call #546 on the Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On December 4, 2014, on Roll Call #547 on H. Res. 770--Rule providing for consideration of the Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment to H.R. 3979--National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, H.R. 5759--``Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act,'' and H.R. 5781--California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On December 4, 2014, on Roll Call #548 on H. Res. 758--Strongly condemning the actions of the Russian Federation, under Vladimir Putin, which has carried out a policy of aggression against neighboring countries aimed at political and economic domination, as amended, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 4, 2014, on Roll Call #549 on the Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 5759, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On December 4, 2014, on Roll Call #550 on Passage of H.R. 5759, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On December 4, 2014, on Roll Call #551 on the Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment to H.R. 3979, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hastings for bringing this bill and the subsequent bill that will follow to the floor and see rapid action. I thank the gentleman for his support of this.

Let me also say that this is the last year that Chairman Hastings will be in Congress. He has chosen to retire at the end of this year, and it has been a pleasure to work with him on both resource issues and on energy and water issues that I am involved with. We are going to miss him and his 20 years of service representing Washington and all the people in this country. So I appreciate the work that you have done, and we will miss you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5050, the May 31, 1918 Act Repeal Act. This is a simple but significant piece of legislation addressing issues that impact the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho.

As its name suggests, H.R. 5050 would repeal the 1918 Act that gives the Federal Government authority to unilaterally take Shoshone-Bannock tribal land out of trust and transfer it to a local government for use as a township. This act is antiquated, and any purpose it may have served toward its stated goal of providing trading opportunities for the tribes has long since expired. Today, thanks to an MOU dating back to 2009, the local county government has granted jurisdiction over the remaining town-site to the tribes for law enforcement, emergency services, roads, and infrastructure.

It is time to wipe this 1918 law off the books. From a practical standpoint, the tribes are already managing the land in question, for which the county has no interest in being responsible.

From a more general point of view, allowing the Federal Government the authority to unilaterally take tribal land out of trust violates the spirit of the relationship the government should have with the tribes. Repealing this act is the right and sensible thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, as I conclude today, I would like to take note that H.R. 5050 has been introduced by my colleagues in the Senate and was unanimously passed out of the committee, and I am hopeful that the Senate would take action on this quickly so that this bill and the subsequent bill can be signed into law and the tribes can move on these issues.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5050) to repeal the Act of May 31, 1918, 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 bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), my colleague, for his hard work and leadership on H.R. 5050. He will be speaking on the bill later, so I will just provide a brief summary.

Under the Act of May 31, 1918, the Secretary of the Interior was authorized to set aside land for town-site purposes within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in the State of Idaho. The town-site envisioned under the 1918 Act never came to fruition, and the land is now owned by a county. The tribe seeks restoration of the land into tribal ownership because the parcel is centrally located on the reservation and can't be used for economic development. This bill removes this unused reservation so that the land may be fully utilized by the tribe.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Simpson, for his work on behalf of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), the author of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good piece of legislation. I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent during the week of December 1, 2014. If I were present, I would have voted on the following: rollcall No. 532--On final passage of H.R. 5629--``yea;'' rollcall No. 533--On final passage of H.R. 3438-- ``yea;'' rollcall No. 534--On final passage of S. 2040--``yea;'' rollcall No. 535--On final passage of H.R. 5050--``yea;'' rollcall No. 536--On final passage of H.R. 3572--``yea;'' rollcall No. 537--On final passage of H.R. 5739--``yea;'' rollcall No. 538--On final passage of H.R. 3240--``yea;'' rollcall No. 539--On final passage of H.R. 2366-- ``yea;'' rollcall No. 540--On final passage of H. Res. 766--``nay;'' rollcall No. 541--On final passage of H.R. 5769--``yea;'' rollcall No. 542--On approving the Journal--``yea;'' rollcall No. 543--On motion to recommit with instructions--``yea;'' rollcall No. 544--On final passage of H.R. 5771--``aye;'' rollcall No. 545--On final passage of H.R. 647-- ``yea;'' rollcall No. 546--On ordering the previous question on the rule--``nay;'' rollcall No. 547--On final passage of H. Res. 770-- ``no;'' rollcall No. 548--On final passage of H. Res. 758--``yea;'' rollcall No. 549--On Motion to recommit with instructions--``yea;'' rollcall No. 550--On final passage of H.R. 5759--``nay;'' rollcall No. 551--On motion to concur with amendment on H.R. 3979--``yea.''

personal explanation

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5050 would repeal the Act of May 31, 1918, and give the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation the exclusive right of first refusal to purchase, at fair market value, any land within the Fort Hall town-site which is offered for sale.

By repealing the 1918 Act, more land within the reservation's boundaries would be available to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the Secretary would be prevented from possibly selling land within the designated town-site area. This bill would not affect current landowners and provides the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes only with the right of first refusal for any future transactions involving the lands.

Mr. Speaker, I support adoption of H.R. 5050 and urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

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