Don Bacon: “I want to start out by recognizing Mr. Newhouse for his leadership on this issue, for educating us, and for galvanizing…”

“I want to start out by recognizing Mr. Newhouse for his leadership on this issue, for educating us, and for galvanizing our Congress to take action here. I also thank my friend for the character and integrity that he brings to our Chamber every day. The gentleman is a bright light right here in our Capitol. Mr. Speaker, I also rise to address the serious epidemic occurring in the United States, and that is the disappearance and senseless murders of Native American women. Many Americans are unaware of this epidemic, and it must be brought to our attention. According to the Native American Women's Nebraska Task Force, Nebraska, and particularly Omaha, has a high number of missing and murdered Native American women. Thirty-three Native American women are listed as missing in Nebraska. Omaha is ranked third in the United States for having the most unreported cases of missing and murdered indigenous women. Although the Nebraska State Patrol is working with the Commission of Indian Affairs and working as hard as they can to collect and improve data reporting and helping with the investigations, there is just a lot more to do. Unfortunately, this is not just an issue in Nebraska. In 2016, 5,712 cases of missing or murdered indigenous women were reported, and only 116 are logged by the Department of Justice in its database. It is believed that many cases go unreported, so that number is expected to be much higher.…”