Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act, a bipartisan bill that will preserve 1,000 jobs in Michigan's 6th district. I would like to thank Chairman Doc Hastings for allowing this piece of legislation to move forward through the Natural Resources Committee.

This bill is really quite simple. It merely reaffirms the U.S. Department of Interior's action of taking this land into trust for the Gun Lake Tribe and prevents any future frivolous legal action on this matter.

On these lands, the Tribe opened a gaming and entertainment facility that has created over 1,000 jobs. For a small community, really for any community, 1,000 new jobs is an incredible feat. The local government and schools also benefit from the facility's revenues. This is quite the advantage in a time when municipalities are slashing services due to deficits. Reaffirmation of this land into trust has the utmost support of our local law enforcement, elected officials, and business leaders.

The Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act is a good thing for the folks in my district and it is just the right thing to do. I urge you to help pass legislation that will allow jobs to flourish and provide resources for our schools and communities.

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