Skip to Content

Indian and Insular Affairs

Bishop: Fiscal and Energy Solutions for Puerto Rico Needed for Long-Term Solvency and Growth

| Posted in Press Release

Today, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) held a conference call to discuss oversight efforts on Puerto Rico and the Committee’s path forward to developing responsible solutions to the island’s economic crisis. “As long as Puerto Rico and its state-owned entities continue to lose money and run deficits, debt restructuring alone will not help the territory and its people find stability and build…

Bishop: Energy is Essential to Puerto Rico’s Future Prosperity

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on the circumstances leading to the current financial crisis faced by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the state-owned, self-regulated monopoly that operates as Puerto Rico’s  public utility. “Today we took a step forward to uncover the origins of Puerto Rico’s fiscal failures and identifying…

Bishop: Senate Passage of Tribal Energy Development Bill Lays Path Forward for Final Package

| Posted in Press Release

Yesterday the Senate passed S. 209, the “Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015,” a bill similar to H.R. 538, the “Native American Energy Act” that passed the House on October 8, 2015.  Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “I am pleased the Senate has followed suit and acted on legislation to alleviate barriers that…

Bishop Introduces Tribal Recognition Act

| Posted in Press Release

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced H.R. 3764, the Tribal Recognition Act of 2015 and issued the following statement. “The tribal recognition process has been a mess for decades. The authority to recognize tribes is one that belongs to Congress, not the executive branch. However, as far back as the Carter Administration, the executive branch…

Washington Examiner: Obama's 'energy-no, pot yes' policy

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

A bill approved by the House this week aims to end what one senior Republican calls the Obama administration's "double standard" when it comes to growing pot, an illegal act under federal law, and producing oil and gas from fracking on tribal lands. "What's bizarre is that for energy production, the administration interprets Indian lands as federal lands, but for pot production, these…

Native American Energy Act Passes House with Bipartisan Vote, Broad Support from Indian Country

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House passed H.R. 538, the Native American Energy Act with bipartisan support by a vote of 254-173.  Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “H.R. 538 seeks to correct the injustices done to tribal energy potential, which has suffered at the incompetent hands of federal bureaucracy. With the passage of the Native American Energy Act, the House of…

GRAPHIC: The Native American Energy Act

| Posted in Press Release

Tomorrow, the House will consider H.R. 538 – “The Native American Energy Act.” Sponsored by Indian, Insular & Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Don Young (R-AK), the legislation addresses the federal government’s overregulation of Indian lands, which has hindered Indian tribes and Alaska Native Corporations from developing energy on their own lands. The legislation…

AP: New Mexico official says EPA refused to share water data after toxic mine spill fouled rivers

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

Federal regulators refused to share water-quality data for weeks following a blowout of toxic wastewater from a Colorado mine that fouled rivers across the Southwest, a New Mexico official said Thursday. The move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed to downplay the severity of the spill, hobbling the state's response, said Ryan Flynn, New Mexico secretary of Environment and…

Bishop: ‘Native American Energy Act’ Corrects an Unjust Regulatory Scheme, is a Boon to Indian Country

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on a number of bills, including H.R. 538, the “Native American Energy Act” sponsored by Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaskan Native Affairs.  The legislation passed Committee by a vote of  23 to 12.  Following passage, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) commented:   “The…