Sarah Elfreth

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 741, the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act, introduced by my friend and colleague from Arizona (Mr. Stanton).

The Indian Health Service, or IHS, is the primary Federal agency responsible for providing healthcare to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Yet, for decades, the agency has fallen short of meeting our trust and treaty obligations as we have left IHS underfunded and underprioritized.

Tribal leaders have long called for greater Federal attention to Indian health in IHS. H.R. 741 responds to their advocacy by elevating the Director of IHS to an Assistant Secretary within the Department of Health and Human Services.

This simple but meaningful change would give IHS a stronger voice within the Department, ensure the healthcare needs of Tribal patients are properly represented, and elevate health disparities, including inadequate infrastructure, limited services, and staffing shortages, facing Tribal communities.

It is the Federal Government's responsibility to ensure that Indian Country has the culturally competent, robust, and accessible healthcare they deserve, and H.R. 741 will help us uphold this premise.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical

legislation, 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 S. 240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025.

S. 240 would amend the Crow Tribe's existing settlement to support successful settlement implementation and extend the Tribe's authority to market hydropower to the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam in Montana.

The Tribe has devoted significant time and effort to achieving and implementing this settlement, and I thank the sponsor of the bill for dedicating that time, as well. This legislation would provide additional support to ensure it is successfully carried out.

This body has a responsibility to uphold our Federal trust and treaty obligations to Tribal nations, and that responsibility is especially critical when it comes to access to clean and reliable water.

Every person deserves access to safe water. Yet, Tribal nations, which often hold some of the most senior water rights, have far too often been unable to access or develop their own water resources due to Federal actions and policies, leaving those water rights largely underdeveloped and unprotected.

Tribal leaders have spent decades working to resolve these issues and negotiate settlements to ensure their communities have cleaner, reliable water. Negotiated settlements provide certainty for Tribes, States, the Federal Government, and other water users. They provide Tribal nations with the resources needed to deliver clean water to their communities while reducing legal, financial, and water supply uncertainty to all parties to a settlement.

Mr. Speaker, while I am grateful to see this bill move forward today, I urge our Republican leadership to take action on the numerous other pending Indian water rights settlement bills, many of which have already passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

Failing to advance settlement delays Tribal communities' access to clean water, prolongs uncertainty for all water users, and increases settlement costs over time.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a partisan issue. We have many Republican colleagues who want to get these bills across the finish line with us. We stand ready to work with the Republican leadership to resolve any procedural concerns.

I hope that S. 240 is just the beginning and that we will see more Indian water rights settlement bills before us on the floor soon, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical piece of legislation, 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 strong support of H.R. 2406, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025.

This bill would strengthen NOAA's efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault by expanding protections, improving reporting systems, and increasing critical accountability. This legislation would help create a safer and more productive workforce for the dedicated public servants who serve the American people through their work at NOAA.

Building upon existing efforts to combat sexual harassment by expanding and strengthening key safeguards, this bill would extend policy protections to personnel who work for NOAA but are not directly employed by the agency--critically, these are contractors and fishery observers--ensuring that all members of the NOAA workforce are covered by this policy.

The legislation would also improve reporting options for victims and broaden NOAA's enforcement authority, ensuring the agency has comprehensive jurisdiction to investigate and address sexual harassment and assault.

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing over 45,000 Federal employees, many of whom work for NOAA. I commend the sponsor of this bill for her leadership in helping to close loopholes and tackling this issue to protect Federal employees and Federal contractors, who often serve in some of the Nation's most remote environments, including on fishing vessels and scientific research cruises.

Enacting H.R. 2406 would help foster a safer, more equitable workplace that promotes accountability and ensures every individual has the opportunity to thrive. In doing so, we would strengthen NOAA and reinforce our commitment to the Federal workforce that upholds the highest standards of professionalism and excellence while serving the American people.

I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for her leadership on this critical issue. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2406, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici), the sponsor of the bill.

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