Native American Energy Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Alaska for
bringing this legislation forward.

In my hometown of Hobbs, New Mexico, truck drivers are making
$100,000 a year. They don't have to have a college degree, not even a
high school diploma. And, yet, we limit this sort of opportunity on
tribal lands. This bill is fairly simple. Simply let them free. Let
them free to develop their lands in the way they want to.

I heard one of my colleagues say that there are no frivolous
lawsuits. Just this week the WildEarth Guardians were found to have
filed a frivolous lawsuit on matters such as these, trying to stop
development, trying to hold things up. The judge said this is
frivolous. It is the WildEarth Guardians v. Kirkpatrick decision that
is very recent.

We are told that there are a litany of issues that we should be
dealing with. I will tell you that Native Americans are sophisticated
enough to take care of their own problems. They just need the
opportunity to have jobs. They need the opportunity for economic
development inside their own nations.

Just recently we hosted in New Mexico a gathering of different tribes
who are looking at investments in oil and gas. One lady said: My son is
working in North Dakota for $60,000 a year, and he should be working
here on the reservation in the oil and gas industry for $60,000 a year.
That is the urgency that I am sensing on the reservations.

The reservations are beginning to build their own houses, and they
are doing magnificent work. They are becoming self-determined. But we
here in Washington say we know better. Mr. Young's bill says that we
don't know better.

Just let them develop what they want. Take the shackles off, take the
chains loose, and let the American spirit that is on the reservations
live and breathe. It is a very simple concept, but one some have a very
difficult time accepting.
I say vote for H.R. 538 and put them free.

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