A bill to provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/s/550
Last Updated: September 15, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK]

ID: M001190

Follow the money

The bill

A bill to provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.

S. 550, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$78,800 raised

30 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

70% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of the Interior" section, p. 563-565 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 13, 2026

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

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 theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose the real disease beneath.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill claims to provide an "equitable settlement" for certain Indian land disputes in Illinois. How noble. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to extinguish Native American land claims while pretending to address historical injustices. The main purpose is to limit the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma's ability to pursue legitimate claims, all under the guise of "settlement."

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill grants jurisdiction to the United States Court of Federal Claims for a limited time (1 year) to hear and decide on a specific land claim by the Miami Tribe. However, this is just a Trojan horse. The real kicker is Section 1(b), which extinguishes all other claims, past, present, and future, by the Miami Tribe or its members to land in Illinois. This is a classic case of "legislative euthanasia," where Congress kills off legitimate claims under the guise of "finality" and "closure."

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The obvious stakeholders are the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and other Native American groups with potential claims in Illinois. However, the real beneficiaries are likely to be corporate interests, such as mining or development companies, who stand to gain from the extinguishment of Native American land rights.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a prime example of "legislative malpractice." By limiting the Miami Tribe's ability to pursue claims and extinguishing all other potential claims, Congress is essentially perpetuating historical injustices against Native Americans. The impact will be felt for generations to come, as Native American communities continue to struggle with land rights and self-determination.

In conclusion, S 550 is a masterclass in legislative deception. It's a cynical attempt to limit Native American land rights while pretending to address historical grievances. The real disease here is the corrupting influence of corporate interests on our legislative process. As I always say, "Everyone lies," and this bill is no exception.

Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$432,800
204 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$66,900
Committees
$0
Individuals
$365,900

No PAC contributions found

1
HABEMATOLEL POMO OF UPPER LAKE INDIAN TRIBE
2 transactions
$6,600
2
MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
2 transactions
$6,600
3
SNOQUALMIE TRIBE
2 transactions
$6,600
4
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
2 transactions
$6,000
5
MATCH-E-BE-NASH-SHE-WISH BAND OF POTTAWATOMI INDIANS
2 transactions
$5,000
6
MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
7
THE CHICKASAW NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
8
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
1 transaction
$3,000
9
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
2 transactions
$3,000
10
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,900
11
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
1 transaction
$2,900
12
PALA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,900
13
THE UTE INDIAN TRIBE
1 transaction
$2,800
14
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,500
15
SYCUAN BAND OF THE KUMEYAAY NATION
1 transaction
$2,500
16
ONEIDA NATION
1 transaction
$2,000
17
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
2 transactions
$2,000
18
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$1,500
19
SENECA NATION OF INDIANS
1 transaction
$1,000
20
CHOCTAW NATION
1 transaction
$500

No committee contributions found

1
KIMBER, SHELDON
4 transactions
$12,000
2
GARVER, C M
3 transactions
$10,300
3
NAGEL, RICK R. MR.
2 transactions
$8,300
4
GAYLOR, JOHN R.
2 transactions
$7,100
5
MILLER, JEFFREY
2 transactions
$7,100
6
BUERGER, ALAN
2 transactions
$6,600
7
CROTTY, THOMAS
2 transactions
$6,600
8
EVANS, ROGER
2 transactions
$6,600
9
MCCALL, CHARLES
2 transactions
$6,600
10
MCCALL, CHARLES A.
2 transactions
$6,600
11
MCCALL, CLAY
2 transactions
$6,600
12
MCDAVID, CARLY
2 transactions
$6,600
13
MCKNIGHT, DREW
2 transactions
$6,600
14
PEMBERTON, LEWIS PECK
2 transactions
$6,600
15
STONE, SHELDON
2 transactions
$6,600
16
WALTON, S. ROBSON
2 transactions
$6,600
17
WEBB, DAN
2 transactions
$6,600
18
WEINER, KANE
2 transactions
$6,600
19
GRAY, C. BOYDEN
2 transactions
$5,000
20
MARTIN, JOHN
2 transactions
$5,000
21
MACKINNON, JEFFREY M MR.
3 transactions
$3,500
22
BURRAGE, STEVE MR.
1 transaction
$3,300
23
BURRAGE, STEVEN MARK
1 transaction
$3,300
24
FIELDS, JACK
1 transaction
$3,300
25
HOLLAND, LUCAS
1 transaction
$3,300
26
LANCE, BILL G. MR.
1 transaction
$3,300
27
MAYER, TONY
1 transaction
$3,300
28
MCCALL, CARSON HAYS
1 transaction
$3,300
29
MCCALL, CHARLES IV
1 transaction
$3,300
30
MCKEE, JACK MR.
1 transaction
$3,300
31
NIXON, DENNIS
1 transaction
$3,300
32
NORMAN, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
33
OSTER, ROBERT
1 transaction
$3,300
34
LAZARSKI, ANTHONY J. MR.
2 transactions
$3,000
35
BODE, JOHN MR.
1 transaction
$2,900
36
CAI, PING
1 transaction
$2,900
37
DU, ZHENG
1 transaction
$2,900
38
FLATT, RAYMOND
1 transaction
$2,900
39
FLINN, ELDON MR.
1 transaction
$2,900
40
FLOWERS, CHRIS MR.
1 transaction
$2,900
41
GUO, MEIRONG
1 transaction
$2,900
42
HATTON, DAVID DWAYNE MR.
1 transaction
$2,900
43
LEVINSON, LEE I. MR.
1 transaction
$2,900
44
LIU, HUIYING
1 transaction
$2,900
45
NI, YUN FENG
1 transaction
$2,900
46
TAYLOR, BRUCE
1 transaction
$2,900
47
WILEY, LAWRENCE
1 transaction
$2,900
48
ZHOU, YUAN
1 transaction
$2,900
49
BUERGE, ROBIN
1 transaction
$2,500
50
CURTIS, CHANDA
1 transaction
$2,500
51
DERDERIAN, JAMES MR.
1 transaction
$2,500
52
GEDULDIG, SAM MR.
1 transaction
$2,500
53
HAUCK, MEGAN
1 transaction
$2,500
54
JOHNSON, H. FISK
1 transaction
$2,500
55
RICHARDS, JIM
1 transaction
$2,500
56
RITTER, RYAN MR.
1 transaction
$2,500
57
SMITH, LARRY
1 transaction
$2,500
58
STERNFELS, ROBERT
1 transaction
$2,500
59
STIPICEVIC, JOHN
1 transaction
$2,500
60
FIELD, MARSHALL
1 transaction
$2,000
61
FORBES, ANDREW
1 transaction
$2,000
62
GUIDA, ALFONSO MR. JR.
2 transactions
$2,000
63
JOYCE, SEAN
2 transactions
$2,000
64
LINK, TUCKER
1 transaction
$2,000
65
MARSHALL, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$2,000
66
POPP, MONICA
2 transactions
$2,000
67
SHUMWAY, CHAD
1 transaction
$2,000
68
ARNDT, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$1,500
69
BARKER, GUY
1 transaction
$1,500
70
BOLIN, BILL
1 transaction
$1,500
71
BRAVO, MATTHEW
1 transaction
$1,500
72
GAILEY, MARK M. MR.
1 transaction
$1,500
73
HILER, JONATHAN
2 transactions
$1,500
74
HIRSHEY, KEN
1 transaction
$1,500
75
JACKSON, RYAN
1 transaction
$1,500
76
MAGALLANES, NICOLAS
1 transaction
$1,500
77
PAC, SNC
1 transaction
$1,500
78
WHITE, JOEL MR.
1 transaction
$1,500
79
WOLF, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$1,500
80
WRIGHT, ALLEN
1 transaction
$1,500
81
BARBER, SHONNA
2 transactions
$1,000
82
BARBY, ALLEN
1 transaction
$1,000
83
BEALL, DONALD R.
1 transaction
$1,000
84
BUCKALEW, ADAM L
1 transaction
$1,000
85
CALLAHAN, KENNETH III
1 transaction
$1,000
86
CANTRELL, MIKE
1 transaction
$1,000
87
CARON, CHRISTOPHER
1 transaction
$1,000
88
COOPER, JILL
1 transaction
$1,000
89
COPELAND, GERRET VANSWERINGEN JR.
1 transaction
$1,000
90
COX, ROBERT MR. AND MR
1 transaction
$1,000
91
DOWNS, RAISSA
1 transaction
$1,000
92
FOWLER, KATHY
1 transaction
$1,000
93
GUNN, ASHLEY
1 transaction
$1,000
94
HARROZ, JOE
1 transaction
$1,000
95
HATZIS, LUKE
1 transaction
$1,000
96
HENKE, FRAZIER
1 transaction
$1,000
97
HODGSON, CHRIS
1 transaction
$1,000
98
KING, ANDREW
1 transaction
$1,000
99
LAMB, MONICA
1 transaction
$1,000
100
LASS, CON
1 transaction
$1,000
101
LOPER, GINGER
2 transactions
$1,000
102
LUCAS, JANE
1 transaction
$1,000
103
MCDONALD, MIKE
1 transaction
$1,000
104
MCDOUGALL, CHAD T. MR.
1 transaction
$1,000
105
MILLER, BRIAN
1 transaction
$1,000
106
NIELSEN, MIKE
2 transactions
$1,000
107
OSBORN, WILLIAM MR. AND MR
1 transaction
$1,000
108
PATAKI, TIM
1 transaction
$1,000
109
PAUP, SPIVEY
1 transaction
$1,000
110
PEARSON, DUANNE
1 transaction
$1,000
111
POLAK, ERIN
1 transaction
$1,000
112
POTEET, PAUL
1 transaction
$1,000
113
RADY, PAUL
1 transaction
$1,000
114
REID, RANDI
2 transactions
$1,000
115
RIPLINGER, SCOTT
1 transaction
$1,000
116
SCOFIELD, JOHN
1 transaction
$1,000
117
SHAW, RHOD
1 transaction
$1,000
118
STEIN, MARTIN
1 transaction
$1,000
119
STRUNK, JEFFREY
1 transaction
$1,000
120
SZAFRANSKI, JOHN
1 transaction
$1,000
121
THROCKMORTON, CHRIS
1 transaction
$1,000
122
TRYSLA, TIM
1 transaction
$1,000
123
WILLCOX, DARREN
1 transaction
$1,000
124
WITCHEY, DEBBIE
1 transaction
$1,000
125
ALSPACH, ROBERT
1 transaction
$500
126
BAKER, GEORGE D MR.
1 transaction
$500
127
BARTLETT, DOYLE
1 transaction
$500
128
BILL, TERESA
1 transaction
$500
129
BRAATEN, TYLER
1 transaction
$500
130
BRANDT, KIMBERLY
1 transaction
$500
131
BUCKALEW, ADAM L.
1 transaction
$500
132
CARAM, GEORGE
1 transaction
$500
133
CARD, BRAD
1 transaction
$500
134
CATANZARO, MIKE
1 transaction
$500
135
CHOE, YONG
1 transaction
$500
136
COLE, KELLY
1 transaction
$500
137
DELGADO, MARTIN
1 transaction
$500
138
DEMERITT, DARYN
1 transaction
$500
139
DIAZ DE LA RUBIO, TOMAS
1 transaction
$500
140
DILLINGHAM, DON
1 transaction
$500
141
DOBIAS, MATTHEW
1 transaction
$500
142
EDATTEL, PAUL
1 transaction
$500
143
FINCH, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$500
144
HALITI, BESNIK
1 transaction
$500
145
HALL, HUNTER
1 transaction
$500
146
HAMBY, JAMES
1 transaction
$500
147
HAWKS, T.A.
1 transaction
$500
148
HEAFITZ, JONATHAN
1 transaction
$500
149
HENRY, VALERIE
1 transaction
$500
150
HUNT, HOLLYE
1 transaction
$500
151
IRIZARRY, STEVEN
1 transaction
$500
152
KEATING, FRANK
1 transaction
$500
153
KEISER, ANDREW
1 transaction
$500
154
LAMP, DAVE
1 transaction
$500
155
LANAGAN, LINDSAY
1 transaction
$500
156
LEPORE, JOHN
1 transaction
$500
157
LONG, CHARLES
1 transaction
$500
158
LOUGHRAN, TIM
1 transaction
$500
159
LUKAWSKI, JENNIFER MS.
1 transaction
$500
160
MANDEL, JESSICA
1 transaction
$500
161
MARSHALL, HAZEN
1 transaction
$500
162
MAY, ELIZABETH
1 transaction
$500
163
MCELROY, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$500
164
MERCER, K. ELAINE
1 transaction
$500
165
MOOREHEAD, PAUL MR.
1 transaction
$500
166
MURRAY, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$500
167
NELSON, TYLER MR.
1 transaction
$500
168
PAYNE, WILLIAM II
1 transaction
$500
169
POWELL, ROBERT
1 transaction
$500
170
ROSS, THOMAS
1 transaction
$500
171
SANDGREN, MATT
1 transaction
$500
172
SCHWARTZ, DOUG
1 transaction
$500
173
SMERUD, RICHARD
1 transaction
$500
174
SMITH, WILL
1 transaction
$500
175
SPERLING, ANDREW
1 transaction
$500
176
SPIVEY, LAWRENCE
1 transaction
$500
177
THORNHILL, BARRETT
1 transaction
$500
178
TRYON, WARREN
1 transaction
$500
179
TYLER, TONY J.
1 transaction
$500
180
WARNER, FREDERIC C MR. JR
1 transaction
$500
181
WELLS, BRYAN
1 transaction
$500
182
WILLIAMS, DENNIS
1 transaction
$500

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

ID: D000563

Top Contributors

23

1
MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationMIAMI, OK
$1,700
Mar 29, 2024
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
May 17, 2024
3
MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationMIAMI, OK
$800
Mar 29, 2024
4
KUJAWSKI, JOHN
SELF-EMPLOYED • ATTORNEY
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$5,000
May 28, 2024
5
KUJAWSKI, JOHN
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$5,000
Jun 4, 2024
6
KUJAWSKI, JOHN
SELF-EMPLOYED • ATTORNEY
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$3,600
May 29, 2024
7
KUJAWSKI, JOHN
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$3,600
Jun 4, 2024
8
BARKER, MARA MILLS
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCHICAGO, IL
$3,300
Dec 26, 2024
9
BARKER, MARA MILLS
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCHICAGO, IL
$3,300
Dec 26, 2024
10
CHOWDHURY, SHUVRO
BOWERY ENGINE • ENGINEER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Nov 1, 2024

Donor Network - Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

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

Loading...

Showing 72 nodes and 86 connections

Total contributions: $86

Top Donors - Sen. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK]

Showing top 22 donors by contribution amount

20 Orgs2 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of the Interior

Moderate
Vector: 55%
Pages: 563-565AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"Both the bill and the Project 2025 section address federal obligations to Indian tribes concerning land claims and the extinguishment of title to facilitate clearer land use, though the bill focuses on a specific Illinois tribe while the policy centers on Alaska Native entitlements, energy, and mineral development."

Key themes:Indian land claimsFederal-tribal relationsLand title extinguishmentFederal land managementResource development implications

— 530 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Despite the passage of nearly 40 years since the end of the Reagan Adminis- tration, the federal government has yet to fulfill its statutory obligation to Alaska and Alaska Natives—specifically, each group has 5 million acres of entitlement remaining. Standing in the way are Public Land Orders (PLOs) issued by the BLM seizing that land for the agency. Those PLOs must be lifted to permit Alaska and Alaska Natives to select what was promised by Congress. For example, revocation of PLO 515057 will provide the state of Alaska 1.3 million acres of its remaining state entitlement. This revocation should be a top priority. BLM recommended this revocation in the 2006 report to Congress based on the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act, and the Interior Secretary has authority to revoke based on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act under section d(1).58 All other remaining BLM PLOs—all of which are more than 50 years old—should be revoked immediately. Alaska has untapped potential for increased oil production, which is important not just to the revitalization of the nation’s energy sector but is vital to the Alaskan economy. One-quarter of Alaska’s jobs are in the oil industry, and half of its overall economy depends on that industry. Without oil production, the Alaskan economy would be half its size. A new Administration must take the following actions immediately: l Approve the 2020 National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Integrated Activity Plan (NPRA-IAP) by resigning the Record of Decision. (Secretary Haaland’s order reverted to the 2013 IAP, the science for which is out of date, unlike the 2020 IAP.) l Reinstate the 2020 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by secretarial order and lift the suspension of the leases. l Approve the 2020 Willow EIS, the largest pending oil and gas projection in the United States in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and expand approval from three to five drilling pads.59 Minerals. Alaska is not just blessed with an abundance of oil, it has vast untapped mineral potential. Therefore, the new Administration must immedi- ately approve the Ambler Road Project60 across BLM-managed lands, pursuant to the Secretary’s authority under the ANILCA and based on the Final Envi- ronmental Impact Statement on the project.61 This will permit construction of a new 211-mile roadway on the south side of the Brooks Range, west from the Dalton Highway to the south bank of the Ambler River, and open the area only to mining-related industrial uses, providing high-paying jobs in an area known for unemployment. — 531 — Department of the Interior Wildlife and Waters. Throughout Alaska’s history, the federal government has treated Alaska as less than a sovereign state. This is especially the case when it comes to two of Alaska’s most valued resources, its wildlife and its waters. Immediate action is required to end, at least in part, this injustice. A new Admin- istration should: l Revoke National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules regarding predator control and bear baiting, which are matters for state regulation. Such revocation is permitted under the 2017 Congressional Review Act.62 l Recognize Alaska’s authority to manage fish and game on all federal lands in accordance with ANILCA as during the Reagan Administration, when each DOI agency in Alaska signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game ceding to the state the lead on fish and wildlife management matters.63 l Issue a secretarial order declaring navigable waters in Alaska to be owned by the state so that the lands beneath these waters belong to Alaska. This will force the BLM to prove that water is not navigable, since in the case of non-navigability, any submerged lands belong to the BLM. Currently, BLM requires Alaska to prove navigability at its own expense—including the BLM’s preposterous assertion that the mighty Yukon River is non-navigable. l Reinstate President Trump’s 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule64 for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, which was replaced by a Biden Roadless Rule that continues a 2001 Clinton rule affecting 9.37 million of the forest’s 16.7 million acres.65 The Clinton rule affects an area where communities are in small islands with no road access. It has prevented multiple infrastructure projects, including roads, electric transmission lines, and water and sewer projects, and it forces residents to use a heavily subsidized ferry system. Logging has been shut down to the extent that New York harvests more timber than does all of Alaska. OTHER ACTIONS The 30 by 30 Plan.66 President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 (30 by 30 plan)67 requires that the federal government, which already owns one-third of the country: (1) remove vast amounts of private property from productive use; and (2) end congressionally mandated uses of all federal land. The end result will be “total federal control of an additional 440 million acres of land or oceans in the U.S. by 2030.”68

Department of the Interior

Weak
Vector: 56%
Pages: 569-571AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"Both the bill and the Project 2025 section address Indian lands and federal trust responsibilities, but the bill focuses on settling a specific land claim while the policy emphasizes resource development, regulatory authority, and border security, resulting only tangential overlap."

Key themes:Indian landstrust responsibilitytribal sovereigntyland claimsfederal jurisdiction

— 536 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 2. Engaging in real-time monitoring of operations. l Reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies by consolidating federal water working groups. l Implement actions identified in the Federal Action Plan for Improving Fore- casts of Water Availability,93 especially by adopting improvements related to: 1. Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations; and 2. Arial Snow Observation Systems. l Clarify the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act94 to ensure consistent application with other federal infrastructure loan programs under the Federal Credit Reform Act. This should be done to foster opportunities for locally led investment in water infrastructure. l Reinstate Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West.95 AMERICAN INDIANS AND U.S. TRUST RESPONSIBILITY The Biden Administration has breached its federal trust responsibilities to American Indians. This is unconscionable. Specifically, the Biden Administra- tion’s war on domestically available fossil fuels and mineral sources has been devastating. To wit: l The ability of American Indians and tribal governments to develop their abundant oil and gas resources has been severely hampered, depriving them of the revenue and profits to which they are entitled during a time of increasing worldwide energy prices, forcing American Indians—who are among the poorest Americans—to choose between food and fuel. l Indian nations with significant coal resources have some of the highest quality and cleanest-burning coal in the world, but the Biden Administration has sought to destroy the market for their coal by eliminating coal-fired electricity in the country and to prevent the transport of their coal for sale internationally. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration, at great public expense, artificially boosted the demand for electric vehicles, which, because of their remote locations, the absence of increased electricity demands for charging electric vehicles nearby, and the distances to be traveled, are not a choice for Indian communities. — 537 — Department of the Interior l A significant percentage of critical minerals needed by the United States is on Indian lands, but the Biden Administration has actively discouraged development of critical mineral mining projects on Indian lands rather than assisting in their advancement. l Despite Indian nations having primary responsibility for their lands and environment and responsibility for the safety of their communities, the Biden Administration is reversing efforts to put Indian nations in charge of environmental regulation on their own lands. Moreover, Biden Administration policies, including those of the DOI, have dis- proportionately impacted American Indians and Indian nations. l By its failure to secure the border, the Biden Administration has robbed Indian nations on or near the Mexican border of safe and secure communities while permitting them to be swamped by a tide of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl. l When ending COVID protocols at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, Biden’s DOI failed to ensure an accurate accounting of students returning from school shutdowns, which presents a significant danger to the families that trust their children to that federal agency. l The BIE is not reporting student academic assessment data to ensure parents and the larger tribal communities know their children are learning and are receiving a quality education. The new Administration must take the following actions to fulfill the nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indians and Indian nations: l End the war on fossil fuels and domestically available minerals and facilitate their development on lands owned by Indians and Indian nations. l End federal mandates and subsidies of electric vehicles. l Restore the right of tribal governments to enforce environmental regulation on their lands. l Secure the nation’s border to protect the sovereignty and safety of tribal lands.

Environmental Protection Agency

Weak
Vector: 55%
Pages: 473-475AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"Both the bill and the Project 2025 EPA section address federal-tribal relations, but the bill focuses on settling a specific land claim and extinguishing title, while the policy concerns reorganizing EPA's tribal assistance programs and legal oversight. There is no direct connection to environmental grants, EPA authority, or the American Indian Office reforms."

Key themes:tribal sovereigntyfederal-tribal relationsland/resource management

— 440 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Repeal Inflation Reduction Act programs providing grants for environmental science activities. AMERICAN INDIAN OFFICE (AIO) AIO is a vital EPA function. It is mandated to carry out a 1992 act of Congress that administers the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.51 Because of the sovereign-to-sovereign relationship between the U.S. government and fed- erally recognized sovereign Indian nations, this act’s purpose is to assist tribes in developing the capacity to manage their own tribal environmental protection programs and set them up to implement programs for the management of solid and hazardous waste. This office also is the chief office under which the EPA’s 1984 Indian Policy functions. Needed Reforms AIO should be significantly elevated as a stand-alone EPA Assistant Admin- istrator office. This would send a clear message to American Indians and Alaska Native Villages that the agency takes seriously the environmental issues plaguing Indian Country. While designated a “headquarters” office with direct reporting to the Administrator, its location should be in the American West, closer to most tribal nations. This could include Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Dallas, Texas; or Denver, Colorado. The state of Oklahoma is considered the tribal center of Amer- ica and is home to 39 federally recognized tribes, including the “Five Civilized Tribes.” The other two options are also close to numerous tribes and home to EPA regional offices. New Policies All EPA tribal grants and tribal matters should be run from this office as a one- stop-shop for all tribal affairs. Budget and Personnel AIO should be led by a politically appointed, Senate-confirmed Assistant Admin- istrator, ideally one with strong ties to a federally recognized tribe. He or she should have political deputies and staff to assist the political leadership in carrying out agency policies. Career EPA tribal staff are located throughout the nation in all regional offices but are paid mostly under the budget of the current Office of International and Tribal Affairs, which will be significantly restructured as international functions are reabsorbed into the appropriate media offices (for example, Air, Water, and Land and Emergency Management). Because of this, tribal staff should be fully under the authority of the new American Indian Office and its Assistant Admin- istrator, not the regional offices. — 441 — Environmental Protection Agency OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL (OGC) OGC serves as the chief legal adviser to EPA’s policymaking officials. It also pro- vides legal support to regional actions and enforcement and compliance litigation. OGC lawyers represent the agency in court alongside the Department of Justice, typically defending agency actions. Needed Reforms and New Policies l Review EPA’s Environmental Justice and Title VI authority. Wherever possible, the Biden Administration is broadening EPA’s use and interpretation of Environmental Justice (EJ)52 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 196453 beyond long-standing understandings of the legal limits of that authority. As a threshold matter, there is an opportunity to redefine EJ as a tool for the agency to prioritize environmental protection efforts and assistance to communities in proximity to pollution or with the greatest need for additional protection. Allocations of agency resources, increased EPA enforcement, and/or agency distribution of grants should be based on neutral constitutional principles. In 2023, the Supreme Court is expected to provide guidance on the constitutionality of race-based discrimination as it considers Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.54 Accordingly, the next Administration should pause and review all ongoing EJ and Title VI actions to ensure that they are consistent with any forthcoming SCOTUS decision. l Establish a policy of legally speaking with one voice. Some EPA offices (for example, the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Offices of Regional Counsel) assert legal positions and interpretations of the law that conflict with an Administration’s interpretation as articulated by OGC with input from program offices. It is unacceptable for the agency to have inconsistent legal positions, particularly with respect to key interpretative issues. All attorneys with authority to represent EPA—not necessarily all attorneys—should therefore be housed in OGC. These offices include: 1. The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). OECA was established during the Clinton Administration. Enforcement attorneys tend to take legal positions to win cases or obtain settlements that may be inconsistent with those of OGC and program offices. OECA attorneys should be moved into OGC. Additionally, non-attorney program staff in OECA could be moved into their relevant program offices (for example, the Clean Air Act Enforcement Advisor could

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

Full Policy Text

Related Bills