Congress passed WELSA with only 12 members present in a voice vote.

Evidence

But in 1986, tribal chairman Darrell Wadena (a.k.a. Chip)—who was later ousted on corruption charges—overrode his community, flew to Washington, D.C., and secured passage of the bill. It was passed in an unusual move, known as “suspension of the rules,” in a voice vote with only 12 members of Congress present. The final bill offered approximately $17 million, or the 1910 value of their titles, without interest or damages, in paltry compensation for 10,000 acres of land. — Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations, 644

Categorization

• XREF: Federal selection/distortion of tribal leadership resonates with the earlier chapter 4 point about federal selection of leaders distorting whole nations’ decisions; also continuation of the court doctrine-of-discovery land framework.
• SHARE: Send to a law-school friend teaching Indian law — WELSA’s passage by voice vote with 12 members present is a vivid teaching moment on how Congress extinguishes title.