U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) on Feb. 23 applauded plans by the U.S. Department of the Interior to fulfill settlements of Indian water rights claims using federal funds from the enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“I’m proud to have helped negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure bill to make sure Utah would have a seat at the table, and make good on the longstanding promise by the federal government to the Navajo Nation in Utah,” said Sen. Romney.
The new law fully funds the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act of 2019, which Sen. Romney authored and sponsored during the 116th Congress to bring running water to the 40 percent of Navajo Nation in Utah who lack it. The bill was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to fund the federal government.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Feb. 22 announced the department’s plan to fulfill settlements of Indian water rights claims using IIJA funds, noting that the law invests more than $13 billion directly in tribal communities across the country and makes them eligible for billions more in much-needed investments.
Specifically, the department will allocate $1.7 billion of IIJA funds this year to enacted settlements that have outstanding federal payments necessary to complete their terms.
“Water is a sacred resource, and water rights are crucial to ensuring the health, safety and empowerment of tribal communities,” said Secretary Haaland. “Thanks to congressional leaders, like Senator Mitt Romney, the bipartisan Infrastructure law will allow the Interior Department to uphold our trust responsibilities and ensure that tribal communities receive the water resources they have long been promised.”
Sen. Romney pointed out that almost half of the members of Utah’s Navajo Nation do not have running water in their homes.
“I appreciate Secretary Haaland’s work in implementing this funding, which we negotiated in the bipartisan infrastructure bill to fulfill critical water needs for the tribal communities in Utah — making sure that the Navajo Nation has access to water and wastewater facilities and providing long-needed water infrastructure for its citizens,” said the senator.