Political Quotes

“Madam President, I want to take a moment to talk about history, and then I will be making a unanimous consent request. One hundred thirty years ago was the first time the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina sought recognition. But you have to go back about 250 years--but that is not even enough; you have to go back to the colonial times to see a Tribe indigenous to North Carolina who has maintained a culture, maintained a language, done everything they need to do to be acknowledged as a Native American Tribe. One hundred thirty years ago, they sought recognition, and they were turned away. Every year since then, they have come to Congress to try to find recognition, and they have failed to do it. Back in the 1950s, the Congress at that time--and we can talk about that, and I will talk about that in future speeches--at once recognized the Lumbee and then unrecognized the Lumbee. The Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina is a Tribe that has a distinct culture. They have a distinct language. They are a Tribe that I have been working with for years, since the time I was speaker of the house, helping them continue to preserve a heritage that has existed since the Tribe first formed. We have been trying to get the Lumbee recognized for several years. As a matter of fact, the bill that I am going to ask unanimous consent for was sent to the Senate on the suspension calendar with huge bipartisan support in the House. And it is not the first time that has happened; it has happened several times.…”