To amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4463) to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 4463, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4463, introduced by Representative Norman of South Carolina, amends the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 to remove Federal restrictions on future membership in the Catawba Indian Nation.

This is a straightforward Tribal sovereignty bill. In 1993, Congress passed the Catawba settlement act. That statute restored the Catawba Indian Nation's Federal recognition, resolved its land claims, and set out several rules for the Tribe in Federal law.

The law also did something unusual. It put future membership rules for the

Catawba Indian Nation directly into Federal statute. In practical terms, Congress, not the Tribe, set the requirements for who could be a Tribal member going forward.

H.R. 4463 restores sovereignty to the Tribe. It removes Federal membership restrictions and allows the Catawba Indian Nation to determine its own membership under its own constitution and governing processes.

That is how this should work. Deciding who belongs to a Tribe is one of the most basic parts of Tribal self-government. It should be handled by the Tribe through its own laws, not locked into Federal law by Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Norman for his work on this important bill. I support H.R. 4463, 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, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4463 is a narrow, commonsense bill. It removes a unique Federal restriction on the Catawba Indian Nation and returns future membership decisions to the Tribe's own constitution and governing processes.

Membership is a core part of Tribal self-government. This bill respects that principle.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Norman for his leadership. I urge passage of H.R. 4463, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4463, which would respect the principles of self-determination and self-governance by restoring the Catawba Indian Nation's right to determine their own citizenship criteria.

Congress enacted the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina land Claims Settlement Act in 1993 to resolve the Nation's longstanding land claims and provide for monetary settlement funds. The act included a restrictive provision that limited the Nation's enrollment to individuals who could demonstrate both lineal descent from the 1962 final roll and a maintained political relationship with the Tribe.

While the intention of this requirement was to determine eligibility for settlement distributions, which have long been completed, it has had further-reaching implications for the Tribe's ability to enroll its own members.

H.R. 4463 is a simple but meaningful fix to remove this restriction so that the Nation can determine their own citizenship criteria.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.