Senate Indian Affairs committee advances 25 items on block, including water settlements and tribal forestry bill

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, opened the committee's business meeting by urging quick action on a group of bills affecting tribal nations and Native communities.

"These bills cover important issues for native people, public health and safety, forestry, the legacy of federal Indian boarding school policy, restoration of tribal lands and water issues," Murkowski said, and she noted that "10 of the bills we're considering are Indian water rights settlements."

The committee adopted an updated agenda and, by unanimous consent, agreed to take up and adopt the 25 items on that agenda on block. The voice-consent approval was announced after the aye votes, with Murkowski saying, "The ayes do have it. The bills are agreed to and that concludes our business for today."

Why it matters: The package includes multiple Indian water rights settlements, which Murkowski described as a pathway for tribal nations to obtain reliable water supplies. She cautioned that many settlements require substantial infrastructure funding and may include mandatory funding that must be costed to the federal budget. "Several of the Indian water settlements we are considering authorize some mandatory funding," Murkowski said, adding that a lack of an identified "pay for" could complicate implementation.

What the committee advanced: Murkowski identified three measures she is sponsoring that were included in the…