To amend the Siletz Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2839) to amend the Siletz Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz 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 H.R. 2839, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2839 will amend the Siletz Reservation Act to provide a process by which the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians and the State of Oregon may negotiate to amend or replace the 1980 agreement that currently serves as the final determination of the Tribe's hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights.

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is a confederation of more than 27 different Tribes and bands of Indians who, beginning in 1856, were removed throughout western Oregon and placed on the Siletz Coast Reservation.

The Siletz Coast Reservation was repeatedly diminished by Federal action until the Siletz Tribe's Federal recognition was terminated by an act of Congress in 1954.

In 1977, Congress enacted a bill to restore the Tribe's Federal recognition. This restoration was not without conditions. The Siletz Tribe's hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights were limited through an agreement made with the State of Oregon.

This agreement was finalized on May 2, 1980, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon as a consent decree. The 1980 consent decree was then incorporated into the Siletz Reservation Act of 1980.

The agreement provided limited allocations for salmon fishing and deer and elk hunting while otherwise prohibiting Tribal hunting, fishing, gathering, and trapping, except as authorized under Oregon State law.

H.R. 2839 would allow the Siletz Tribe in the State of Oregon to negotiate to amend, replace, or terminate the 1980 consent decree. That consent decree remains in place until there is mutual agreement for a new agreement between both the Tribe and the State.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon would also be required to adjudicate any change in the consent decree on the merits of the case. This prevents the modification from being dismissed by the court because the matter had already been decided.

Additionally, the legislation includes language preserving all other hunting and fishing treaty rights held by other treaty Tribes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this legislation would amend the Siletz Reservation Act to allow the State of Oregon and the Siletz Tribe to negotiate to amend, replace, or terminate the Tribe's 1980s hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal consent decree.

The current consent decree would remain in place until there is a new agreement that is mutually decided on, allowing all parties to reach an agreement before changes are made.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the legislation for her work on behalf of her constituents. I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2839, which would amend the Siletz Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

The Siletz Tribe should be able to freely hunt, fish, and gather on their ancestral lands, just like every other Tribe in Oregon, except one, and in this country.

Today, the Siletz have over 5,000 enrolled members, and they are concentrated in Oregon's Fourth Congressional District, which I am honored to represent.

The Siletz Tribe was stripped of its land and status in 1954 through the Western Oregon Termination Act.

In 1980, the Siletz Tribe was forced to give up their rights to hunting and fishing on Tribal lands in order to have their reservation restored. This restriction is called a consent decree. It is an unjust and racist policy that should have never happened, and it needs to be changed immediately.

This is a bipartisan bill, and I thank my colleagues for their support. It provides the legal ability for the Siletz Tribe to renegotiate a hunting and fishing agreement with the State of Oregon.

While the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved a historic new hunting and fishing agreement with the Siletz Tribe, the State can choose or be forced by litigation to return to the previous unconscionable agreement at any time. That is why this bill is greatly needed.

The bill is necessary to invalidate the consent decree, and it does not impact the treaty rights of any other Tribe.

The Siletz Tribe has worked in good faith with other Tribes in the region to avoid contested areas, which is reflected in my bill. There was a lot of hard work that went into making this happen and making this right.

I am proud that H.R. 2839 passed out of committee with strong bipartisan support. In fact, it was unanimous. That is pretty strong bipartisan support.

I thank my colleagues in the Oregon delegation for their support of this bipartisan bill. I particularly thank Senator Merkley, who has a companion bill in the Senate and who has worked tirelessly to right this historic wrong.

The Siletz is one of only two Tribes in the entire country that was forced to give up their sovereign rights in order to have Federal status renewed. The other Tribe is the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. I support similar legislation to allow them to renegotiate fishing and hunting rights with the State of Oregon, as well. I hope to see this legislation move forward.

H.R. 2839 is about fairness. Siletz members should be able to hunt, fish, trap, and gather on their ancestral lands as they have traditionally done. They should be treated as other Tribes are.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2839, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.