Political Quotes

“I today can say that I am elated that the Senate unanimously passed my legislation that would create a commission on the status of Native American children. This bipartisan bill, which was first introduced when I came to the Senate--in fact, it was my first bill--will study the challenges facing Native American kids, including poverty, crime, high unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, and dire economic opportunities, as well as making recommendations on how to make sure Native American youth receive the tools and educational resources they need to thrive. This is not a new issue for me. This is an issue I worked on when I was North Dakota's attorney general and I saw the challenges for so many of our children living in Indian Country. I saw that sometimes they are the most forgotten children in America. I fought for Native families all during my time as North Dakota's attorney general, pledging to improve the lives of Native American youth once I was positioned to do so. So this is truly an important day for tribes and Native communities, as well as Native children and their families. But we can't stop the momentum. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to uphold the Federal Government's trust responsibility to Indian tribes and to pass this bill, because standing up for Native children is an issue on which we should all agree.…”