Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee Jon Tester released the following statement after his bill which reaffirms the Secretary of the Interior’s authority to take land into trust for tribes passed out of Committee by unanimous voice vote:
“This bill is a step in the right direction to ensure that tribes have the tools they need to strengthen their economies and improve the lives and communities in Indian Country. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate as this bill moves forward.”
Tester’s bill – known as the Carcieri fix – overturns the controversial U.S. Supreme Court’s Carcieri decision that created two classes of tribes, those recognized before 1934 and tribes who were recognized after 1934.
Tester’s bill is co- sponsored by Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and supported by Senators Mark Begich (D- Alaska), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and John Walsh (D-Mont.).