COMMEMORATING U.S. NAVY AND SUQUAMISH TRIBE MOU

On 2026-06-25, Representative Emily Randall (D-WA-6) delivered a floor speech titled "COMMEMORATING U.S. NAVY AND SUQUAMISH TRIBE MOU" in the House.

COMMEMORATING U.S. NAVY AND SUQUAMISH TRIBE MOU

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 107 (Thursday, June 25, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 107 (Thursday, June 25, 2026)] [House] [Page H4254] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COMMEMORATING U.S. NAVY AND SUQUAMISH TRIBE MOU (Ms. RANDALL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. RANDALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tremendous occasion that is happening in my district this weekend. A memorandum of understanding, the first of its kind, between the Suquamish Tribe and the U.S. Navy has finally been reached after years of good faith negotiations. This MOU sets a new standard for how our U.S. military collaborates with Tribal Governments to respect Tribal sovereignty and to preserve treaty rights. The Suquamish Tribe has stewarded the lands and waters of the Salish Sea or the Puget Sound since time immemorial and has been a gracious neighbor to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the U.S. Navy's Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton. The shared waterways include Tribal fishing grounds and shellfish beds, and this MOU will compensate the Tribal members for the access that will be impacted during the construction of the Navy's proposed Multi-Mission Dry Dock. The Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program and its M2D2 project are a once-in-a-century investment to modernize four aging naval shipyards into new, modern facilities that will serve our Nation into the future. In my district alone, there are 12 federally recognized Tribes that often neighbor our four DOD installations, and this serves as a model not only for Washington State but the Nation. I commend the Navy and the Suquamish Tribe for their years of leadership and perseverance in reaching this historic agreement. ____________________