Today, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) voted to empower tribes to better manage land in their tribal trusts. McMorris Rodgers released the following statement on passage of the bipartisan Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (H.R. 812):

“Today, I voted to give tribes more freedom to use their trust land. It’s the tribes who should be able to decide how to use their native lands, not bureaucrats in D.C.”

H.R. 812 authorizes tribes to negotiate on a voluntary basis with the Interior Secretary to manage their tribal trust assets in accordance with relevant federal treaties, statutes and court decisions. This will give more flexibility to the Colville, Kalispel, Spokane, and Umatilla tribes as well as many others throughout Washington State.

McMorris Rodgers is a cosponsor of H.R. 812.