Keystone XL Pipeline Act -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, my amendment states that S. 1 may not
``change, suspend, supersede, or abrogate any trust obligation or
treaty requirement of the United States without consultation with, and
the informed express consent of, any affected Indian nation, Indian
tribe, individual Indian, or Indian tribal organization.''

The need for this amendment becomes particularly relevant because on
January 11 of this year, the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association
wrote to President Obama to express the association's unequivocal
opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline.

The association speaks on behalf of 16 sovereign American Indian
tribes and asserts that the pipeline violates the Fort Laramie Treaties
of 1851 and 1868.

I am not taking a legal position on whether the assertion is correct.
Rather, I think it is important that the Senate go on record that our
trust obligations and treaty requirements, which are with sovereign
Nations, must be honored and that any changes to those obligations may
only occur with consultation and their consent.

I ask unanimous consent that the letter dated January 11, 2015, from
the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association and the Association's
resolution regarding the KXL pipeline be printed in the Record.

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