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Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act. This legislation would finalize this multidecade effort by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to ensure their sovereignty over their water rights.

The Palm Springs area east of Mt. San Jacinto is home to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and has been officially set aside by the U.S. Government since 1876. All the land traditionally held by the Cahuilla people was divided into even and odd parcels between the Tribe, Federal Government and private landowners--creating a checkerboard pattern of land management.

For over 4 years, the Tribe engaged in settlement discussions with the U.S. Government, Coachella Valley Water District, and Desert Water Agency. All parties reached a comprehensive agreement to secure the tribe's federally reserved water rights and promote the Tribe's sovereign authority over its water resources and trust lands. My bill would codify this agreement.

Specifically, this bill would ratify the Tribe's federally reserved water right of up to 20,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the Indio Subbasin, as well as surface water rights in Tahquitz Creek, Andreas Creek, and Whitewater Ranch.

In exchange for absolving the Federal Government of its liability for failing to protect the Tribe's water resources, the bill would appropriate $500 million to the Agua Caliente Settlement Trust Fund to support water infrastructure development projects, water supply improvements, and groundwater management and operations.

The bill would also place 2,742 acres of Bureau of Land Management land into trust for the Tribe, and would authorize the Tribe to levy taxes on their reservation in order to provide community services.

It is long past time for the Federal Government to live up to its trust and treaty responsibilities to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Sovereignty over their water resources and trust land is essential to the continued strength of the Tribe and to ensuring its sustainability and viability for future generations.

I thank Senator Schiff for cosponsoring this legislation, and I thank Representatives Calvert and Ruiz for introducing the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

I would also like to thank the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for their tireless work to finalize this settlement and the impacted entities for supporting this legislation, including Coachella Valley Water District, Desert Water Agency, County of Riverside, city of Palm Springs, city of Cathedral City, and city of Rancho Mirage.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act as quickly as possible.

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