Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 1101, the Lumbee Fairness Act, to give the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina the full Federal recognition they have been unfairly denied for decades. The Lumbee Tribe, comprised of 55,000 members, is the largest American Indian Tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest in the Nation. Throughout recorded history, the Lumbee have called southeastern North Carolina home, spanning Robeson, Scotland, Hoke, and Cumberland Counties. Despite their long history and cohesive culture, the Lumbee Tribe has never had access to the same resources exercised by every other federally recognized Tribe. During the termination era, when Congress ended the Federal relationship with 60 Tribes, the Lumbee Act of 1956 recognized the Tribe's existence yet denied them the Federal rights and protections afforded to other federally recognized Tribes. This includes access to benefits from the Indian Health Service and support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sometimes, it is quite helpful to go back to see what the statute actually says. Public Law 571 specifically reads: ``Nothing in this act shall make such Indians eligible for any services performed by the United States for Indians because of their status as Indians, and none of the statutes of the United States which affect Indians because of their status as Indians shall be applicable to the Lumbee Indians.'' It is a bit wordy but very clear and very to the point.…”