Administration, Bipartisan Members Outline Support for Bishop’s Tribal Recognition Act
Press Release Sep 26, 2017
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a legislative hearing on H.R. 3744, Chairman Rob Bishop’s (R-UT) “Tribal Recognition Act of 2017.” “The Department of the Interior appreciates the Chairman’s work on this important issue and supports the goals of improving the overall administrat...
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Bishop Statement on Hurricane Maria’s Impact on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Press Release Sep 20, 2017
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House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement on Hurricane Maria’s impact on the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: "The residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have been devastated by Hurricane Maria, a storm that took human lives and l...
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Bishop Introduces Tribal Recognition Act of 2017
Press Release Sep 14, 2017
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On Tuesday, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced H.R. 3744, the “Tribal Recognition Act of 2017.” The bill restores the constitutional framework to tribal recognition authorities vested with Congress under Article I. Chairman Bishop issued the following statement: “The constitutional authority to recognize tribal stat...
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Bishop Statement on House Appropriations Package
Press Release Sep 14, 2017
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Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement on House passage of H.R. 3354, the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act of 2018: “This package builds on the administration’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy and promote regulatory certainty across the Department of the Interior and other federal ...
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Bishop Statement on Rescindment of Federal Coal, Oil and Gas Valuation Rule
Press Release Aug 7, 2017
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Today, the Department of the Interior (DOI) rescinded the Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s (ONRR) “Consolidated Federal Oil & Gas and Federal & Indian Coal Valuation Rule.” Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement: “This rescindment is another important step by the Trump administration to position...
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Panel Evaluates Policy Options on Trust Land Acquisitions
Press Release Jul 13, 2017
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing to review the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) policies governing the acquisition of land into trust for Indian tribes. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (IRA) delegates broad authority to the Secretary of the Interior to acquire ...
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Wall Street Journal: People Are Dying Here: Federal Hospitals Fail Native Americans
In Case You Missed It Jul 7, 2017
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Indian Health Service facilities sanctioned for dangerous, faulty care, leaving often-impoverished patients on remote reservations without services required by law By Dan Frosch and Christopher Weaver At the Indian Health Service hospital in Pine Ridge, S.D., a 57-year-old man was sent home with a bronchitis diagnosis—...
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Bishop Statement on Puerto Rico Oversight Board and PREPA
Press Release Jun 28, 2017
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Yesterday, the Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board rejected the Puerto Rico Electricity Power Authority (PREPA) restructuring support agreement (RSA) between Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló and PREPA’s creditors. Chairman Rob Bishop issued the following statement: “Congress provided a path to sta...
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Subcommittee Examines Bill to Improve Indian Healthcare
Press Release Jun 21, 2017
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The Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a legislative hearing today on H.R. 2662, the “Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD), the bill addresses longstanding problems with the way the Indian Health Service (IHS) administers he...
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Panel: Trio of Bills Empower Tribes and Alaska Natives
Press Release Jun 7, 2017
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a legislative hearing on a series of bills that would empower Indian and Alaska Native communities to direct their own affairs. They place decision-making power in the hands of those most qualified to make decisions on local issues: the tribes an...
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Interior Official: Land Consolidation Program Failing Native Americans, Taxpayers
Press Release May 23, 2017
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Cobell Land Consolidation Program. The program authorizes DOI to purchase highly fractionated allotments and consolidate them in tribal ownership. After an expenditure of over $1 billion, it rem...
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President Trump Signs into Law Measure Ending FWS’s Unlawful Power Grab in Alaska
Press Release Apr 4, 2017
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Yesterday, President Trump signed into law H.J. Res. 69 sponsored by Rep. Don Young (R-AK). The joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act overturns the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) rule on “Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National Wi...
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Subcommittee Presses Panel on Status of Puerto Rico’s Power Utility Restructuring Agreement
Press Release Mar 22, 2017
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held an oversight hearing on the status of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA). PREPA, the state-owned, self-regulated monopoly that operates as Puerto Rico's public utility, provides power generation...
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Indian Country and Insular Territories in Desperate Need of Infrastructure Updates
Press Release Mar 9, 2017
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held an oversight hearing exploring ways to improve infrastructure in tribal and insular communities. “Quality infrastructure boosts economic development, creates jobs, and quality of life increases. Nowhere is this more important than tribal and insu...
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Bishop Reaction to Trump Actions on Keystone XL, Dakota Access Pipelines
Press Release Jan 24, 2017
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House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump’s actions related to the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines: “I’m glad this President understands we can create more jobs and provide affordable energy through domestic resource develop...
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Wall Street Journal: It’s Time for the Feds to Get Out of Indian Country
In Case You Missed It Oct 7, 2016
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By: Terry L. Anderson and Shawn Regan As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump court the minority vote, they have paid virtually no attention to one of the most impoverished groups—Native Americans. More than any other group, American Indians are shackled by bureaucratic red tape that deprives them of the same rights and di...
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Bishop: Native Hawaiian Rule is Unconstitutional
Press Release Sep 23, 2016
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Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued the final rule to create a Native Hawaiian government. The rule, which is highly disputed and raises difficult constitutional issues, includes new administrative procedures and criteria for establishing such relationships. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the followi...
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Bishop: Obama Administration is Exploiting Native Americans to Advance Their Extreme Environmental Agenda
Press Release Sep 23, 2016
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Today, the U.S. Departments of the Army, the Interior and Justice invited tribal leaders to participate in government-to-government consultations on infrastructure permitting. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: "This administration has never cared about consulting local communities or Native t...
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Bill Providing Equitable Treatment of Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans Passes Committee
Press Release Sep 22, 2016
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Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on five bills including H.R. 2387 (Rep. Don Young), the "Alaska Native Veterans Land Allotment Equity Act." The bill, which passed by voice vote, provides equitable treatment of Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans under the Native Allotment Act of 1906, allowing ...
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Bishop’s Tribal Recognition Act Advances to Restore Constitutional Intent
Press Release Sep 8, 2016
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Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on four bills including H.R. 3764 (Rep. Rob Bishop), the Tribal Recognition Act of 2015. The bill restores the constitutional framework to tribal recognition authorities vested with Congress under Article I. Following the passage of H.R. 3...
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HEALTTH Act Addresses Healthcare Obstacles in Indian Country
Press Release Jul 12, 2016
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Today, the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs held a legislative hearing on H.R. 5406 (Rep. Kristi Noem, R-SD), the Helping to Ensure Accountability, Leadership, and Trust in Tribal Healthcare Act (HEALTTH Act), highlighting the need to reform healthcare in Indian Country. The bill would improve ...
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Chairman Letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell
Letters Jul 1, 2016
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TO: Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell FROM: Rob Bishop, Chairman House Committee on Natural Resources Dear Ms. Attorney General and Madame Secretary: In a February 26, 2015 correspondence (Letter) to Secretary Sally Jewell and former Attorney General Eric Holder, I outlined a number of ...
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House Committee on Natural Resources Releases Puerto Rico Discussion Draft
Press Release Mar 29, 2016
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Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources released discussion draft legislation on Puerto Rico’s economic crisis. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement: “Today, the Committee released draft legislation that provides Puerto Rico with tools to impose discipline over its finances, meet its obliga...
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New York Times: Officials Warn Congress of Major Defaults Without Restructuring
In Case You Missed It Feb 6, 2016
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Puerto Rico and its top advisers made their case in Washington on Friday for a law that would allow broad restructuring of the island’s multibillion-dollar debt, saying that if Congress did not act soon, major defaults were likely this spring. The officials also said they knew that any legislative help would come at a ...
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New York Times: How Free Electricity Helped Dig $9 Billion Hole in Puerto Rico
In Case You Missed It Feb 2, 2016
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To understand how Puerto Rico’s power authority has piled up $9 billion in debt, one need only visit this bustling city on the northwest coast. Twenty years ago, it was just another town with dwindling finances. Then, it went on a development spree, thanks to a generous —some might say ill-considered — gift from the Pu...
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Members Urge VIP Act Implementation Before Memorial Day
DOI Heeds Republican Messages, Announces Draft Five-Year Offshore Leasing Plan
Westerman Leads Inquiry Into USFS Wildland Firefighter Shortage
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