This week, Congressman Nick Begich celebrated a key legislative victory with the House passage of his bill, H.R. 410, the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025.
This makes four bills Congressman Begich has sponsored that have made it through the House in the first 193 days he has been in office. He has set a record in Congress for the freshman with the most bills passed this year.
The bipartisan legislation extends the application window for Alaska Native veterans who served during the Vietnam War to apply for long-overdue land allotments.
Begich called the vote “an important step toward honoring Alaska’s veterans,” emphasizing the need to fulfill promises made to those who served. The bill, which passed with broad support, extends the existing land allotment program from five to ten years, giving Vietnam veterans more time to apply for and select land parcels.
“The men and women who served our nation during the Vietnam War deserve the opportunity to secure the land they were promised,” Begich said in a statement. “This legislation extends an important land allotment program and ensures that Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans will have the time and resources they need. Today’s passage of this legislation is paramount for Alaska’s Vietnam veterans, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take swift action so we can send this bill to the President’s desk.”
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman praised Begich’s work on the issue: “Congressman Begich’s legislation that advanced today will keep our promise to Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans by extending an important land allotment program. I’d like to thank him for his continued leadership for Alaskans and look forward to working to advance this legislation.”
The legislation addresses a longstanding injustice faced by Alaska Native Vietnam veterans, thousands of whom were unable to apply for their congressionally promised land allotments because they were serving overseas during the eligibility period. As of early 2025, out of more than 2,000 eligible veterans, only 41 applications have been certified, and just 18 veterans have received their land conveyances.
In conjunction with the bill’s passage, the Trump Administration’s recent reinstatement of certain federal land withdrawals, which were previously revoked under the Biden administration, has expanded the pool of available lands. This development opens up more options for eligible veterans to select viable parcels of land.
During committee hearings, Alaska Native leaders, including Nelson N. Angapak, Sr., Vice President Emeritus of the Alaska Federation of Natives, highlighted the urgency of the issue, pointing to the advanced age of many of the veterans affected.
Veterans’ organizations and Alaska Native groups have broadly endorsed the legislation, citing it as a crucial step toward justice and recognition for Native veterans.
Begich introduced H.R. 410 on January 15, 2025. This marks the fourth bill he has successfully passed in the House since taking office. He testified in support of the legislation before the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs on Feb. 5.
The bill now moves to the Senate.
Why did it take a Federal Freshman Representative to bring justice to these abused fellow Alaskans? Alaska has had plenty of powerful Federal Politicians in power who could have dug their heals in for Justice for these men who were sent off to War. And just so we keep it real, for the DEI score keepers, this is a White Man making it Right for Native Alaskans.
Abused??? ha
Peltola, Murkowski
It is Far Beyond WAY OVERDUE. There have been plenty who have Claimed they supported both our Native Peoples AND our Veterans in words only, a frequent DEI tactic. Rep Begich has put Actions behind his words. As my daddy always said, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words!” My take away has always been, ” words are worth exactly what is required to push the hot air out of your mouth, and that Includes Promises.” Would that more people remembered that little item.
Sen. Bernie Sanders has been in the House and the Senate for a total of 41 years. He has introduced and had passed 3 pieces of legislation; two are small town post offices in Vermont. Rep. Begich has been in DC for 193 days and has introduced and passed 4 important pieces of legislation. Some politicians are talkers, and some do the real work. Thanks, Rep. Begich for doing a great job for Alaska.
Yeah, Begich, thanks for nothing.
Watch your mouth, Cap. Nicholas is the best Begich in the state. And I mean it sincerely.
We always knew that he would rehabilitate the family name, especially after my dismal performance at re-election time.
I believe, but am subject to check, that each of the four legislative achievements of Congressman Begich have been for the benefit of Alaska Natives. Good for them. I guess some Alaskans are more important than others.
What do I care; both of my kids have left the state of their birth for better opportunities elsewhere.
How about 30 million acres of land leases with more royalty money than ever before for Alaska and 26 billion for coast guard upgrades. Seems like something.
I have previously commented on my reservations about both. With regard to the leasing, there is a risk that the next regime (Gavin Newsom?) will cancel the program. Biden did. The point is that the politics significantly chills the investment calculation. That is what happened with the ANWR lease sale. I hope the leases are very successful but have learned not to get too excited.
With regard to the Coast Guard upgrades, ships on the drawing board are scraps of paper until they are launched, which seems years away. Stationing icebreakers in Seattle, which is a major risk, is a guarantee that the program will fail and provide little benefit to Alaskans. Color me skeptical.
I am not seeing much evidence – yet – that the new Congressman cares much about the average Alaskan. I hope this changes. Looked at the crumbling road system lately? I have. Would be a good place to start.
Doesn’t seem like it would be too tough to get something passed that gives stuff away and doesn’t cost others that might vote for or against it. Was everyone promised land? I don’t recall that and have a buddy or two that might be interested. Does it count against them if they’re white?
Alaska Natives were promised individual land allotments under the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act. Many who served in Vietnam missed the opportunity to apply. The 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act extinguished these allotment rights. To address this, the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program was established, offering eligible veterans or their heirs a second chance to apply for allotments. – sd
Interesting. Thanks for the summary.
I voted for Begich–no apologies! Frankly, if he uses his best judgment, I’ll vote for him again. If he wins his next election, the office is his for as long as he desires to keep it. Congressman Begich, take the high ground and fight like hell to keep it!
Thank god they were burned out before they could take advantage of that act Fighting DEI back then too
Nick cares nothing about we VN vets, he’s simply pandering for the indian vote. The rest of us who served are again being penalized due to our race!
Nicholas cares more about vets than his predecessors in Alaska. And that includes the uncles like me. The other uncle was a VN protestor.
Schumer and Peltola think they are going to beat this guy? NOT A CHANCE IN HELL
Peltola is not entertaining a shot at either Begich or Sullivan. Her best bet is governor, where a crowded field, coupled with RCV, gives her a decent shot at the open seat. With so MANY Republicans trying to get into the governor’s seat, a big name Democrat could actually win.
A big name Democrat? I would hope the Democrats would find better qualified candidates, but again as a conservative voter, I say let them advance her. With her lack of results in Congress, and her penchant for not accomplishing anything, she will be easy to defeat.
Well Nicky old boy. You’ve just lost mine and many other V.N. Vets. What a prejudicial move. I Like so many others I heard the call and served in VN.
As did my brother who lost both legs there and I’m a 100 % disabled vet as are many other non indian disabled VN vets. Yet you think its right to give a certain race huge track of free land but not us. We won’t forget you.
You VN vets are crybabies. Grow up. We are in the year 2025, not 1967.
What a completely unserious person your are “Uncle Mark” – one who hides behind a pseudonym. Time does not magically mend the turmoil an individual suffers in their soul from such events. Nor does it mend the physical nature of war. The fact that Native VN Vets may have lost an opportunity bares looking into. But addressing their lack of opportunity from a prior appeasement act, is still problematic/racial at least, or leans towards a First Nation’s concept at worst (something contrary to our constitution).
Perhaps this “brilliant” young politicians might find a way to horror US Vets suffering disabilities by offering a Federal Land allotment (BLM, Interior) at the sametime.
Thanks for your Service! Capt Lewis & Other AK Vets.
Thank you very much for your service and sacrifice. Politicians should not legislate to secure votes from a single group.
Representative Nick Begich’s sponsored or co-sponsored four pieces of legislation that passed the House. Of those four, two were initially former Representative’s Mary Peltola’s work, as she drafted them and introduced them when she served. This latest bill was simply a routine extension of the 2019 Act as fewer Alaska Native Vietnam vets had applied than had been expected. Interestingly, the original 2019 bill was co-sponsored in the Senate by Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. Nick III likes to take credit for the work done by others.
Not true. Those were originally Don Young bills! After he died Peltola tried to get it done but she wasn’t able to. Begich did it.
So what if someone wrote the bill and then couldn’t get it passed. How’s this for a campaign slogan- “I write bills that don’t get passed- vote for me.”
Now, how about making things right with those that lost their commercial fishing permits because they were drafted during the time the rules changed?
Four times as many bills as Leftist Mary What’s-Her-Name who was the (D)ems female messiah. Hopefully the more than Begich accomplishes, the more we’ll forget that Ranked Choice Voting ever put Peltola in office.
It’s about time. Unbelievable after all these decades an Alaskan politician cares.
ALL Vietnam Veterans of EVERY RACE, Culture and COLOR should have been included EQUALLY, this is total prejudice. The 61% of Alaska the Feds illegally claim should be available to ALL Alaskan Veterans starting with the elders first with expedited land and title transfers. Most Alaskan Veterans I know, including myself have been treated very unfairly by the Feds.
My late father served in WW2, got shot at in the Aleutians and spent time in the hospital for injuries. Other than that, he received nothing for his service, other than a free country. He never complained.
It sounds like Alaska’s Congressional delegation is continuously taking credit for extending its own deadlines. Why is there a deadline to apply at all? I’m not sure why putting that stress on vets and their heirs is necessary when you can make the agencies act quickly. Let them wait for more land to be available where they want, why would we force them to select from the mountaintops in the next few years or lose their rights? Why did Congress give them so little land to choose from, when it can lift any withdrawal it wants, why leave that to presidents? Even though it’s had no effect, since neither Biden’s withdrawals nor Trump’s rescissions took lands from this program, giving the next president a chance to totally undermine the program makes no sense, and that’s exactly what another five years does. As glad as I am that vets and their families have more time, all I see is politicians taking credit for cleaning the same mess, and not getting credit for making it.