To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

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Bill ID: 119/hr/2916
Last Updated: July 12, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

ID: S001196

Follow the money

The bill

To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

HR. 2916, 119th Congress β€” read as touching Pipelines & Energy Infrastructure.

The sponsor

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$143,950 raised

24 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.

June 2, 2026

Introduced

Committee Review

πŸ“ Current Status

Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.

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Floor Action

βœ…

Passed House

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Senate Review

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Passed Congress

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Presidential Action

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Became Law

πŸ“š How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative legerdemain, courtesy of the esteemed Representative Stefanik and her cohorts in Congress. Let's dissect this bill with the scalpel of skepticism and expose the underlying disease.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The ostensible purpose of HR 2916 is to "authorize, ratify, and confirm" a settlement agreement between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and various New York state entities to resolve long-standing land claims. How noble. In reality, this bill is a carefully crafted exercise in bureaucratic doublespeak, designed to obscure the true motivations behind it.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill authorizes the transfer of lands, rights-of-way, and easements to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, effectively expanding their territory. Section 2 cleverly redefines certain areas as "Indian Country," subject to the terms of the Settlement Agreement. This is a classic example of legislative sleight of hand, where the language appears innocuous but actually grants significant concessions to the tribe.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York state entities, and various local governments are all stakeholders in this agreement. But let's not forget the real beneficiaries: the politicians who will reap the rewards of tribal largesse, the lobbyists who brokered this deal, and the lawyers who will feast on the resulting litigation.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill has far-reaching implications for land use, economic development, and tribal sovereignty in New York state. The expansion of Indian Country could lead to increased tensions with local communities, while the transfer of lands and resources may enrich certain interests at the expense of others. But don't worry, the politicians will assure us that this is all about "justice" and "reconciliation."

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from a severe case of "Politician's Disease," characterized by symptoms such as:

* Euphemistic language designed to obscure true intentions * Overly complex provisions intended to confuse stakeholders * Unintended consequences that will inevitably arise from the legislation

Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong stomach for bureaucratic nonsense, and a willingness to call out the politicians on their transparent attempts to manipulate the system.

Prognosis: This bill will likely pass with minimal scrutiny, as most lawmakers are too busy grandstanding or collecting campaign donations to bother reading the fine print. The real winners will be the special interests who have been quietly pulling the strings behind the scenes. And the rest of us? We'll just get to enjoy the usual symptoms of legislative malpractice: more confusion, more conflict, and more opportunities for politicians to line their pockets.

Related Topics

Public Lands & Natural ResourcesState & Local Government Affairs
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

πŸ’° Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

Congress 119 β€’ 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$143,950
23 donors
PACs
$50
Organizations
$11,900
Committees
$0
Individuals
$132,000
1
MAGGIE'S LIST- EAMARKS
1 transaction
$50
1
ONEIDA INDIAN NATION
2 transactions
$9,900
2
SAN MANUAL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,000

No committee contributions found

1
FISHER, CYNTHIA A. MS.
1 transaction
$6,600
2
BERK, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$6,600
3
CUTLER, ROBERT
1 transaction
$6,600
4
DAVIS, ANN L.
1 transaction
$6,600
5
KRAFT, DANIEL
1 transaction
$6,600
6
FITZPATRICK, MARY
1 transaction
$6,600
7
BLAVATNIK, LEONARD MR.
1 transaction
$6,600
8
COHN, DOUGLAS
1 transaction
$6,600
9
LAKONISHOK, GUY
1 transaction
$6,600
10
ZALIK, DAVID
1 transaction
$6,600
11
ZALIK, HELEN
1 transaction
$6,600
12
LEON, BENJAMIN JR.
1 transaction
$6,600
13
PESKIN, BIANCA
1 transaction
$6,600
14
PESKIN, CRAIG
1 transaction
$6,600
15
SHAMAH, ALAN
1 transaction
$6,600
16
SHAMAH, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$6,600
17
ALVAREZ, MAXIMO
1 transaction
$6,600
18
REUS, SANDRA
1 transaction
$6,600
19
TAYLOR, MARGARETTA J. MS.
1 transaction
$6,600
20
OCH, DANIEL
1 transaction
$6,600

Donor Network - Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 61 nodes and 24 connections (60 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $143,950

Top Donors - Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount

1 PAC2 Orgs20 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped, 1 harmed.

  • Section 1 authorizes land transfers that may impact the New York Power Authority's operations, potentially affecting energy infrastructure development in the region.

  • +Real Estateconfidence 0.70

    Section 2 designates certain lands as Indian Country, which could lead to new economic development opportunities and land ownership changes, benefiting real estate interests.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β€” they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HARMS

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