Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2758 would extend Federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and remove a bar that has prevented the Tribe from being federally recognized. Recognizing the Lumbee Tribe would make its members eligible for services, benefits, and immunities available to other federally recognized Indian Tribes. The bill would also establish a service area to deliver Federal programs to Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland Counties in North Carolina. In 1956, an act by Congress designated certain Indians as Lumbee Indians of North Carolina and declared that they shall enjoy all rights as citizens of the State of North Carolina and the United States. At the same time, the act made them ineligible for services available to recognized Tribes and makes Indian statutes inapplicable to them. This scheme has led to conflicting Department of the Interior solicitor opinions regarding whether the Lumbee Tribe may pursue administrative recognition. H.R. 2758 would resolve those conflicting administrative opinions and recognize the Tribe so that its Members can receive the benefits that other Tribes have. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative Dan Bishop from the State of North Carolina for his leadership on the issue. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”