To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

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Bill ID: 119/hr/2916
Last Updated: February 4, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

ID: S001196

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

December 10, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

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1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative legerdemain, courtesy of the esteemed Representative Stefanik and her cohorts in Congress. Let's dissect this bill with the scalpel of skepticism and expose the underlying disease.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The ostensible purpose of HR 2916 is to "authorize, ratify, and confirm" a settlement agreement between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and various New York state entities to resolve long-standing land claims. How noble. In reality, this bill is a carefully crafted exercise in bureaucratic doublespeak, designed to obscure the true motivations behind it.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill authorizes the transfer of lands, rights-of-way, and easements to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, effectively expanding their territory. Section 2 cleverly redefines certain areas as "Indian Country," subject to the terms of the Settlement Agreement. This is a classic example of legislative sleight of hand, where the language appears innocuous but actually grants significant concessions to the tribe.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York state entities, and various local governments are all stakeholders in this agreement. But let's not forget the real beneficiaries: the politicians who will reap the rewards of tribal largesse, the lobbyists who brokered this deal, and the lawyers who will feast on the resulting litigation.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill has far-reaching implications for land use, economic development, and tribal sovereignty in New York state. The expansion of Indian Country could lead to increased tensions with local communities, while the transfer of lands and resources may enrich certain interests at the expense of others. But don't worry, the politicians will assure us that this is all about "justice" and "reconciliation."

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from a severe case of "Politician's Disease," characterized by symptoms such as:

* Euphemistic language designed to obscure true intentions * Overly complex provisions intended to confuse stakeholders * Unintended consequences that will inevitably arise from the legislation

Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for bureaucratic nonsense, and a willingness to call out the politicians on their transparent attempts to manipulate the system.

Prognosis: This bill will likely pass with minimal scrutiny, as most lawmakers are too busy grandstanding or collecting campaign donations to bother reading the fine print. The real winners will be the special interests who have been quietly pulling the strings behind the scenes. And the rest of us? We'll just get to enjoy the usual symptoms of legislative malpractice: more confusion, more conflict, and more opportunities for politicians to line their pockets.

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💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$143,950
23 donors
PACs
$50
Organizations
$11,900
Committees
$0
Individuals
$132,000
1
MAGGIE'S LIST- EAMARKS
1 transaction
$50
1
ONEIDA INDIAN NATION
2 transactions
$9,900
2
SAN MANUAL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,000

No committee contributions found

1
FISHER, CYNTHIA A. MS.
1 transaction
$6,600
2
BERK, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$6,600
3
CUTLER, ROBERT
1 transaction
$6,600
4
DAVIS, ANN L.
1 transaction
$6,600
5
KRAFT, DANIEL
1 transaction
$6,600
6
FITZPATRICK, MARY
1 transaction
$6,600
7
BLAVATNIK, LEONARD MR.
1 transaction
$6,600
8
COHN, DOUGLAS
1 transaction
$6,600
9
LAKONISHOK, GUY
1 transaction
$6,600
10
ZALIK, DAVID
1 transaction
$6,600
11
ZALIK, HELEN
1 transaction
$6,600
12
LEON, BENJAMIN JR.
1 transaction
$6,600
13
PESKIN, BIANCA
1 transaction
$6,600
14
PESKIN, CRAIG
1 transaction
$6,600
15
SHAMAH, ALAN
1 transaction
$6,600
16
SHAMAH, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$6,600
17
ALVAREZ, MAXIMO
1 transaction
$6,600
18
REUS, SANDRA
1 transaction
$6,600
19
TAYLOR, MARGARETTA J. MS.
1 transaction
$6,600
20
OCH, DANIEL
1 transaction
$6,600

Donor Network - Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 24 nodes and 24 connections

Total contributions: $143,950

Top Donors - Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount

1 PAC2 Orgs20 Individuals