(Washington, DC)—Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) made the following statement today upon his introduction of the Winnebago Land Transfer Act.
“Several decades ago, land belonging to the Winnebago tribe of Nebraska was appropriated by the Arms Corps of Engineers for development. In 1976, a Federal court found that the United States and the Corps lacked authority to take this land through the eminent domain process. It’s time to make this right,” Fortenberry said.
“The Winnebago Land Transfer Act is an important bill that returns to the Winnebago people this piece of Winnebago land. Additionally, hunters can continue to enjoy this prime spot along the Missouri River through the Winnebago Tribe, Wildlife and Parks Program,” Fortenberry added.
“I am proud of the bipartisan effort from my colleagues Darren Soto of Florida, Sharice Davids of Kansas, and Randy Feenstra of Iowa to, again, make this right,” Fortenberry said.
Victoria Kitcheyan, Chairwoman, Winnebago Tribal Council
“Today the Winnebago people are a step closer to being made whole as Congress seeks to restore our historic reservation lands back to the tribe. Thank you, Congressman Fortenberry, Rep. Randy Feenstra, Rep. Darren Soto and Rep. Sharice Davids for introducing this important legislation.”
Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09)
“After decades of lost land, the Winnebago are one step closer to recovering what rightfully belongs to them. I’m honored to join Congressman Fortenberry to right the wrongs of the past and bring justice to the people of Winnebago.”
Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-3), Co-Chair, Congressional Native American Caucus
“The Winnebago Land Transfer Act is a vital piece of legislation that returns the illegally condemned homeland of the Winnebago Tribe, which could only be restored by Congress. This corrects a decades-old error, and I thank my colleagues for coming together in this bipartisan effort to uphold the federal trust responsibility by introducing this bill.”
Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
“I am glad to be working with Reps. Fortenberry, Davids, and Soto on this important legislation. This is another example of government overreach that needs to be addressed, and our bipartisan effort is a step in the right direction.”
Link to Fortenberry Floor Speech: https://bit.ly/3lIUWPU
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) is the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). His district is home to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
