Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 227, Savanna's Act, responds to the epidemic of missing and murdered Native Americans. This crisis is appalling and threatens millions of innocent people living both on Tribal lands and beyond. This bill is a bipartisan effort introduced by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and passed by the Senate by unanimous consent last March. {time} 1345 I want to especially commend the leadership of Representative Norma Torres, who introduced the House companion in 2019 and has been a constant champion for Savanna's Act here in the House. The available data indicates that violence against Native Americans is particularly high. In some Tribal communities, Native American women experience murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average. This is unacceptable. Savanna's Act is named in honor of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a member of the Spirit Lake Tribe, who vanished from her apartment in Fargo, North Dakota, while 8 months pregnant. Eight days after she disappeared, her body was found wrapped in plastic in the Red River. This legislation empowers Tribal governments with the resources and information necessary to respond to cases of missing or murdered Native Americans like Savanna and to increase the collection of data in such cases. It also increases coordination and communication among the Federal, State, and Tribal officials responsible for investing these cases in a variety of ways.…”