ARTIST Act

Mr. President, I am down on the Senate floor here to try to pass two really important pieces of legislation for a great part of Alaska, and this is the Alaska Native community in my State. These are incredible, patriotic Americans. By the way, Alaska Natives serve at higher rates in the military than any other ethnic group in the country. They are great Americans. They add so much to our State. They are the first peoples of Alaska, and so in my State, it is almost about 20 percent of the population. So it is a population I care deeply about.

We work closely with them on so many different issues across so many different areas, and so I like to legislate in the areas that matter to them. And we are going to do that. You know, lately--and I am going to try to stay positive here; I have given speeches on the Senate floor about this before--some of my Democratic colleagues on the other side of the aisle have taken it out on the Alaska Native people in legislation, really kind of bad stuff. I am not going to be negative, but there has been this trend of anti-Alaska Native bias on the other side of the aisle. It has been very disappointing. To be honest, it has been puzzling.

But I am hoping today, these two bills that we are going to move forward that go to the heart of Alaska Native culture in one and Alaska Native patriotism in the other are going to be UC'd. I know my Republican colleagues have already passed on these.

So the first piece of legislation I want to bring up is what we call the Alaska's Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition. The acronym on that is the ARTIST Act.

Now, let me give you a little bit of background on this. For thousands of years Alaska Natives have responsibly harvested whales, walrus, other marine animals from our northern seas. These animals are eaten, shared, honored, and no part of the animal goes to waste.

They still do this tradition in my State. They have the right to do it under law. The bones, the ivory, the baleen, even all of those pieces are used for beautiful art. If you have had a chance to visit my office, you have seen the beautiful art that adorns the walls of my Senate office. Carvings made from whale baleen, walrus tusks, crafted by Alaska Native artists.

This is some of the most beautiful art in America. It is deeply ingrained in Alaska's culture, the ability to make this art. It also provides important economic opportunity for our artists in many of these remote villages, artists who rely on the ability to sell these works to Alaskans and the hundreds of thousands of people who come to my great State to visit who want to take home a piece of Alaska Native heritage. So it is a win-win-win for everybody, but it is an economic driver of a lot of small villages in my State.

And by the way, carving, harvesting walrus ivory is completely legal under Federal law, Federal regulations, Federal law. There is no question about that. However, there has been some, I guess, well- intentioned laws from some States that in an attempt to ban African elephant ivory, which we all want to do that--that is not allowed in America, by the way--States have gone too far and cast this huge net and said you can't buy any ivory products anywhere, including Alaska Native products from Alaska walrus harvesting.

This really has hurt my State. People coming up from States that have banned all ivory say: I can't take that home. I can't buy it. Sorry.

So this is a simple, simple bill. You know, if a visitor wants to come buy some ivory earrings in Alaska by one of our great Alaska Native artists and then bring them home to a State that has a ban on ivory, which is not sensible--again, walrus ivory, not African elephant ivory--we want to be able to say at the Federal level that we should be able to do this.

So that is what my ARTIST Act does. It prohibits States from banning the importation, sale, or possession of Alaskan Native handicrafts made with walrus ivory. Environmental groups support it. By the way, the Biden administration supported this. It is straightforward bipartisan legislation that recently was passed unanimously by the Commerce Committee.

So this is about as bipartisan as it gets. And what I want to do is to cut through the confusion that there now exists with certain States and a lot of tourists in my great State, to affirm the right of the Alaska Native people to continue these centuries-old practices of sustainable, respectful ivory carving, entirely within Federal law, and to be able to make sure that is clarified across the country.

So I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 178, that is S. 254; further, that the committee-reported substitute amendment be considered and agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Yes, I agree to the modification.

Mr. President, I want to let people know back home that means that that bill, the ARTIST bill that we have been trying to get moved for a long time, just passed the U.S. Senate. So I want to thank my colleague from California, my friend from California who has worked with me, by the way, on one of the other bills that just passed. I was a cosponsor with Senator Padilla on that, so this is good Senate cooperation on these issues.

So that is an important issue for Alaskan Native heritage, culture, artists, and now it has passed the Senate. So, again, I want to thank Senator Padilla.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 254) to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to protect the cultural practices and livelihoods of producers of Alaska Native handicrafts and marine mammal ivory products, 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 to S. 254, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 254, Alaska's Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act, or the ARTIST Act.

Subsistence harvest of marine mammals is a key aspect of Alaska Native culture. Subsistence hunters harvest marine mammals for both food and to create Native handicrafts, clothing, and artwork.

Many of the millions of Americans that visit Alaska each year purchase these products. However, as States have enacted bans on ivory to prevent the trafficking of elephant tusks, these bans have been incorrectly applied to walrus ivory, a central component of the Alaska Natives' creations. The ARTIST Act fixes this longstanding issue by allowing Alaska Natives' handicraft and artworks to be sold in interstate commerce.

Ultimately, this bill recognizes the immeasurable ways in which Alaska Natives have contributed to the story of Alaska.

I thank Congressman Begich for his leadership on this important issue in the House and Senator Sullivan for his leadership in the Senate.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), the lead sponsor of the House companion to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, last year, a bipartisan group of members of our committee traveled to Alaska. As part of that visit, we held a roundtable with Alaska Native organizations during which we heard about the importance of subsistence hunting for Alaska Native communities, cultures, and economies.

Enacting this bill will remove a longstanding barrier for the sale of Alaska Native handicrafts and artwork, and I am pleased that Congress is championing policies that are important to the Alaska Native way of life.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of S. 254, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 254 would amend section 101(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which allows Alaska Native communities to take marine mammals for subsistence purposes.

This proposed amendment would allow Alaska Native communities to take marine mammals for the creation and sale of arts and crafts.

The MMPA already permits the use of marine mammal ivory in Alaska Native art when the animal was taken for subsistence. However, Alaska Native artists have faced barriers to markets due to State-level bans on the sale of ivory. They routinely used whale baleen, bones, and ivory walrus tusks in their artwork, which have been caught up in good faith efforts to curb the trade of elephant and rhinoceros ivory.

This bill would clarify that authentic Alaska Native art made with marine mammal products may be sold nationwide. This will provide greater flexibility and certainty to Alaska Native artists.

Importantly, this bill would maintain the Secretary's authority under

the MMPA to regulate the take of depleted marine mammal stocks based on scientific evidence and the consideration of indigenous knowledge. It also maintains the authority of States to regulate or ban the sale of other ivory, such as elephant ivory. The artwork this bill would support is important to Alaska Native traditions and cultures.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 254, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 254, the Alaska's Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition Act, the ARTIST Act.

For generations, Alaska Native artisans along our north Pacific and Arctic coasts have carved walrus ivory into works of extraordinary beauty, a tradition handed down through families, woven into the culture life of entire communities, and for many, a vital source of income.

In recent years, well-meaning efforts to crack down on the illegal elephant ivory trade have swept up something they were never meant to touch: the legal, sustainable, lawfully harvested ivory at the heart of Alaska Native art. Buyers grew confused. Some States moved to ban these handicrafts outright. Alaska Native carvers, who have done nothing wrong, watched their livelihoods and their heritage put at risk.

The ARTIST Act fixes that. It makes it clear that authentic Alaska Native handicrafts may be bought and sold across this country. It stops States from outlawing a responsible tradition that predates them by centuries.

This is about cultural durability and the right of Alaska Native families to practice their traditions and provide for their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Dan S. Sullivan for his leadership in carrying this bill through the Senate. With House action, the ARTIST Act will be one step away from restoring the rights of Alaska Native craftsmen.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my college to support S. 254.

Reserving the right to object.

Mr. President, I ask that the Senator modify his request and the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following bills en bloc: Calendar No. 178, S. 254, and Calendar No. 169, S. 318; that the committee-reported substitute amendments be considered and agreed to en bloc; the bills, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed en bloc; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.