Highlights of Morris K. Udall's Congressional and Legislative Career 

1961-1962

Sponsors H.R. 7240, bill to authorize an exchange of lands at Wupatki National Monument, Arizona.

1964

Acts as floor whip for the 1964 Civil Rights Act legislation.

Sponsors H.R. 946 which establishes the Fort Bowie National Historic Site in Arizona and H.R. 7419 which authorizes the conclusion of agreements with Mexico for joint construction, operation and maintenance of flood control works on the lower Colorado River.

1965

The legislative battle begins on the Central Arizona Project. He joins efforts to promote the construction of two dams in the Grand Canyon as part of this large water project. Two years later, after a prolonged battle with environmentalists, this idea is dropped.

Sponsors H.R. 3320 which authorizes the establishment of the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Arizona, H.R. 7648 which authorizes long-term leases on the Papago Indian Reservation and H.R. 10281, the Government Employees Salaries Comparability Act.

1967

Challenges House seniority system by leading a successful effort to strip Adam Clayton Powell of his chairmanship of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Sponsors H.R. 2154 which provides long-term leases for the Gila River Indian Reservation.

1968

The Central Arizona Project bill is signed into law by President Johnson.

1969

Leads an inquiry that reveals the secret of the massacre of civilians at My Lai, a Vietnamese village by U.S. soldiers.

1970

Works for passage of the Postal Reform Act which makes the Post Office, a semi-private corporation.

1971

Chief sponsor of the 1971 Campaign Finance Reform Act, which created the first real set of rules for limiting expenditures, contributions and providing for disclosure.

Sponsors H.R. 15869 which allows Native American tribal groups to receive money damages in a shorter period of time.

1972

Introduces legislation to put more than 100 million acres of Federal lands in Alaska into new national parks, wildlife refuges and national forests.

1973

Sponsors H.R. 7730 that authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the San Carlos Mineral Strip on behalf of the San Carlos Apache Indian Tribe and H.R.3180 which reforms the use of franked mail by members of Congress.

1977

President Carter signs strip-mining legislation which provides for the first time, guidelines to the mining industry for reclaiming and restoring coal strip mine lands.

Sponsors H.J. Res. 539 which amends the United States Code relating to claims by the United States on behalf of Native Americans, H.R. 4992 which amends the Indian Financing Act of 1974 by revising appropriations for the Indian Business Development Program, H.R. 8397 which adds lands in Pinal County, Arizona, to the Papago Indian Reservation, H.R. 13972 which enlarges the Bob Marshall Wilderness and establishes the Great Bear Wilderness in Montana, H.R. 2 which regards regulations of surface coal mining operations, H.R. 3454 which designates certain endangered public lands for preservation as wilderness and H.R. 10532 which provides for emergency drought relief.

1978

Sponsors Indian Child Welfare Act that sets standards for the placement of Indian children in foster and adoptive homes. Plays a major role in the passage of President Carter's civil service reforms.

1979

Sponsors H.R. 1825, the Archaeological Research Protection Act, H.R. 39 which provides for the designation and conservation of certain public lands in the state of Alaska including the National Park, National Wildlife Refuge, National Forest, National Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Wilderness systems.

1980

President Carter signs the Alaska Lands bill into law. The bill doubles the size of the National Refuge System and triples the size of the National Wilderness System.

1981

Sponsors H.R. 2330 which authorizes amendments relating to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, H.R. 4364 which sets asides lands to be held in trust for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, H.R. 5553 which provides for the use and disposition of Miami Indians' judgement funds, H.R. 6403 which provides for the use and disposition of Wayndot Indians' judgement funds, H.R. 3809 which provides regulations for the disposal high-level radioactive waste and H.R. 4707 which designates certain National Forest Lands in the state of Arizona as wilderness.

1983

Sponsors H.R. 1746 which authorizes appropriations for the Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Commission, H.R. 6206 which provides for the water rights of the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Arizona and H.R. 4707 which designates certain National Forest Land in the state of Arizona as wilderness.

1984

Secures passage of the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984, adding over one million acres of state land.

1985-1986

Sponsors H.R. 730 which declares that the United States holds in trust for the Cocopah Indian Tribe of Arizona certain lands in Yuma County, Arizona, H.R. 1185 which amends the act establishing the Petrified Forest National Park, H.R.5430 which amends the Gila River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community judgement plan, H.R. 1083 which amends regulations and procedures of Low Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act and H.R. 4217 which provides for the settlement of land claims of the Papago Tribe of Arizona.

1987

Sponsors amendment to the Price-Anderson Act provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide additional money to compensate the public in the event of a nuclear accident.

Sponsors H.R. 1963 which amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act by setting aside a special trust fund for abandoned mine reclamation, H.R. 4102 which provides for the settlement of water rights claims of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona, H.R. 5261 which authorizes and amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and H.R. 1223 which is entitled The Indian Self Determination Amendments of 1987.

1989

Secures passage of an Indian Gaming Act that provides for the first time, minimum federal regulations for gaming activities on Indian reservations.

Sponsors H.R. 2843 which establishes the Kino Missions National Monument in Arizona.

1990

Wins passage of the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act, which protects more than two million acres of Federal land from development. Cosponsors legislation to protect the Grand Canyon from the effects of water overflows from Glen Canyon Dam. Plays a key role in the passage of the Tongass Timber Reform Act, which ends large Federal subsidies to pulp mills that were cutting down old forests in Alaska. This bill also protects more than one million acres from logging and road building.

Sponsors H.R. 2570 the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990 and H.R. 5237 which provides for the protection of Native American Graves.