Daines: Final NDAA Bill Must Include Little Shell Recognition

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today wrote a letter calling on the leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees to retain a provision in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would extend federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana.

“The time has come for Congress to act and provide the Little Shell Tribe with long-overdue federal recognition,” Daines wrote. “I urge you to preserve Section 6020 of the Senate-passed NDAA in the final version. The people of the Little Shell Tribe have waited lifetimes for their sovereignty and dignity to be recognized, and it is time for Congress to finally provide the federal recognition the Little Shell Tribe has earned.”

To read the full letter click HERE.

Background:

In early June, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the National Defense Authorization Act which included an amendment proposed by Daines that secured federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

In the 116th Congress, Daines advanced the federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe further than ever before when he successfully secured an amendment to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act, cosponsored by Tester, to federally recognize the Little Shell Tribe.

In the 115th Congress, Daines led the charge reintroducing the Little Shell recognition legislation along with Tester and when the effort felt short at the end of the congressional term, Daines didn’t give up.

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