Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act.

The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act would place four parcels of approximately 172 acres of land already owned in fee by the Jamul Indian Village into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.

The four parcels of land in the bill would not be used for any class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Over time, Jamul's ancestral lands have diminished from over 640 acres to just 6 acres, which now comprise the Tribe's entire trust land base. This 6-acre reservation is one of the smallest reservations in the country.

In 2005, Jamul Tribal members voluntarily moved off of the reservation in order to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development, build a casino, and become self-sufficient and less reliant on the Federal Government.

The Tribe has worked hard to maximize the use of its 6-acre reservation. Jamul opened a casino in 2006 and is working towards the opening of an adjacent hotel next year. Once the hotel is complete, the casino and hotel will occupy the entire Tribal reservation.

This legislation would place additional acres into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, allowing Jamul to build a true homeland and bring their members back to the reservation. On the largest parcel covered by the bill, Jamul plans to develop housing for their Tribal members so they can create a true homeland, as well as use the land for administrative offices, a health clinic, a childcare center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices, and other community resources for Tribal members.

Another parcel contains the only physical access road to the Tribe's reservation, and the fourth parcel contains the Tribe's historical church and cemetery.

I am proud to work with the Jamul Indian Village to introduce this bill that would enhance Tribal community development, preserve a sacred site, and improve economic development opportunities that will positively impact the Tribes' members and culture for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act in the Senate as quickly as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act.

The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act would place four parcels of approximately 172 acres of land already owned in fee by the Jamul Indian Village into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.

The four parcels of land in the bill would not be used for any class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Over time, Jamul's ancestral lands have diminished from over 640 acres to just 6 acres, which now comprise the Tribe's entire trust land base. This 6-acre reservation is one of the smallest reservations in the country.

In 2005, Jamul Tribal members voluntarily moved off of the reservation in order to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development, build a casino, and become self-sufficient and less reliant on the Federal Government.

The Tribe has worked hard to maximize the use of its 6-acre reservation. Jamul opened a casino in 2006 and is working towards the opening of an adjacent hotel next year. Once the hotel is complete, the casino and hotel will occupy the entire Tribal reservation.

This legislation would place additional acres into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, allowing Jamul to build a true homeland and bring their members back to the reservation. On the largest parcel covered by the bill, Jamul plans to develop housing for their Tribal members so they can create a true homeland, as well as use the land for administrative offices, a health clinic, a childcare center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices, and other community resources for Tribal members.

Another parcel contains the only physical access road to the Tribe's reservation, and the fourth parcel contains the Tribe's historical church and cemetery.

I am proud to work with the Jamul Indian Village to introduce this bill that would enhance Tribal community development, preserve a sacred site, and improve economic development opportunities that will positively impact the Tribes' members and culture for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act in the Senate as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, as if in legislative session, notwithstanding

rule XXII, I also ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 562, S. 3857.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Padilla substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.

Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I want to thank you and our colleagues for your support of these two measures, which will help Tribes in my home State of California regain control of their rightful ancestral lands and help the Federal Government take steps to fulfill our sacred trust responsibility to Tribal nations.

The first of these bills that we just approved, the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, will establish in trust over 170 acres of land in San Diego County for the Jamul Indian Village of California.

For the Jamul people, what was once over 640 acres of ancestral lands has diminished to just 6 acres--one of the smallest reservations in the country.

In 2005, Tribal members voluntarily moved off the reservation to allow the Tribe to pursue economic development opportunities and become less reliant on the Federal Government. But in order to build a true homeland fitting for their Tribe, the Jamul Indian Village purchased four parcels of land--a combined 172 acres in total--in San Diego County.

By establishing this land in Federal trust, the U.S. Government is now fulfilling our obligation to the Jamul people and returning their Tribal members back to their permanent and proper homeland.

I want to take a moment to thank Representative Darrell Issa for his work in the House of Representatives as well as Senators Schatz and Murkowski here in the Senate.

I also want to thank all the members of the Jamul Indian Village who have been such honorable and relentless advocates for their community.

Thank you, colleagues, for supporting and passing this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3857) to take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village of California, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3857, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3857, the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, which would place approximately 173 acres of land into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village.

The Jamul Indian Village is located in San Diego County and is part of the Kumeyaay people of southern California, otherwise known as the Mission Indians.

While the Tribe's history dates back 12,000 years, they only received Federal recognition in 1981. The Tribe's reservation consists of approximately 6.04 acres, but the Tribe has continued to work to restore its land base.

This legislation would place certain parcels into trust for the Tribe's benefit. The legislation also would prohibit Class 2 or Class 3 gaming on the parcels placed into trust consistent with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for his work on the House companion to this legislation that passed the House earlier this year.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage adoption of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation would take approximately

173 acres of land into trust for the Jamul Indian Village for the benefit of the Tribe.

I again thank Mr. Issa for his hard work on behalf of his constituents. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam President, on voting rights, later today, I will join several of my Democratic colleagues at a press conference to mark the reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

John Lewis once said:

Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation

must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved

Community.

That is what John Lewis said.

With this legislation, we are not only honoring John Lewis and his lifetime fight for voting rights, we are also committed to doing our part to expand access to the ballot box and end voter discrimination, which has plagued this Republic since its founding.

I will have more to say later, but recent history makes it absolutely clear that we need these protections on the books. MAGA Republicans across the country are continuing their dangerous crusade--self- serving--to restrict access to the ballot box, particularly when it comes to people of color ahead of the November election.

So Democrats will continue to heed the words of our late colleague, John Lewis, and we will work tirelessly to safeguard the right to vote and our democracy, advancing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.

We can--and must--build a more responsive democracy, a more perfect Union.