¶ Native American Land Agreement
2019: Schweikert Voted Against Ratifying A 2015 Interior Department Agreement To Take Into Trust MA Land To Benefit The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Of Massachusetts And Dismiss All Pending Federal Legal Actions Related To This Land Agreement. In May 2019, Schweikert voted against a bill that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "ratif[ied] 2015 Interior Department actions taking into trust approximately 321 acres of land in Massachusetts for the benefit of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts. It would [have] also require[d] any pending or future legal actions related to the land to be dismissed in federal court." The vote was on the passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 275 to 146. [House Vote 207, 5/15/19; Congressional Quarterly, 5/15/19; Congressional Actions, H.R. 312]
- The Interior Department And Zinke Came Under Inspector General Investigation Concerning A Rejected Expert Analysis Preventing Native American Tribes From Opening A Casino In Connecticut. According to Politico, "Trump administration officials rejected recommendations from federal experts on Indian gaming policy when they blocked two American Indian tribes from opening a casino in Connecticut last year, documents obtained by POLITICO indicate. The heavily blacked-out documents add to questions about whether Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his political appointees buckled to lobbying pressure from MGM Resorts International, a gambling industry giant that is planning its own casino just 12 miles from the project proposed by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. Interior's inspector general is investigating the department's handling of the tribes' casino application, a spokeswoman told POLITICO, after Connecticut lawmakers asked the internal watchdog to look into the matter." [Politico, 4/22/18]