U.S. Rep. Hageman introduces Native American land lease bill

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming hand delivered news from her work in Washington, D.C. during her Town Hall meeting at the Ten Sleep Senior Center on March 16.

Hageman, who was sworn into office in the early morning of Jan. 3, has returned to Wyoming to keep the people that she represents filled in on the proceedings of the United States Congress. She has been working to hold a town hall meeting in each county during the early part of her term.

She began her address in Ten Sleep by announcing the historic Speaker of the House election that took place in January, which took 15 separate votes to declare a winner. She said, "It's the first time it's taken that long since the 1830s."

Hageman explained the situation, saying "the reality is, that's the way our government works; and it was a very healthy exercise to have a debate about where this country is going and who is going to lead this country forward." She also said that due to congressional officers spending an unusual amount of time together during the vote, they were able to exchange valuable dialogue and got to understand one another much better. Hageman said that the outcome of this process is that "we are going to be much more effective."

She then told her audience about the committees to which she was appointed. She has been appointed the freshman representative on the Policy Committee, and she said "Steve Scalise, who is the Majority Floor Leader, has asked me to work with a group of about 12 people to set the policy in what we are going to do long term over the next two years."

Hageman was also appointed to the Natural Resources Committee and to the Judiciary Committee. She was appointed as chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, where she will handle issues relevant to the 574 Native American tribes in the United States as well as the territories of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

During her first meeting with this subcommittee, Hageman has introduced a bill that would extend how long a lease may be held on Native American land from 25 years to 99 years. She said it has bipartisan support, and that she believes it will be one of the first bills to be signed by President Joe Biden during the 118th Congress.

Hageman is also on the Natural Resources Water subcommittee, where she is advocating for repairs and upgrades to Wyoming's water infrastructure.

In the Judiciary Committee, she said that she is on the Civil Rights subcommittee and Regulatory Reform subcommittee.

The final committee that Hageman announced being a part of is the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. This committee is looking closely at violations of the First Amendment made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Hageman then mentioned some of the other bills that she has introduced, such as the "Power Act," which would help to protect energy industries, and a bill that would delist grizzly bears as an endangered species.

Hageman also stated that she is a co-sponsor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which disallows states that receive federal assistance from letting biological males participate in sports designated for women and girls.

She then opened up her meeting to questions from the public which will be covered in next week's edition of Northern Wyoming News.