Among these 23 bills were seminal pieces of legislation, including the STOP Act, the RESPECT Act, amendments to the Violence Against Women Act to stop the crisis of missing and murdered Native women, and advanced appropriations for the Indian Health Service. The bills also included smaller pieces of legislation for specific tribes impacting land and water rights. The Indian Gaming Association can assure you, and the four (4) federally recognized Tribes in Louisiana would concur, that these 23 separate bills are immensely important for the health, safety, and wellbeing of the Tribal communities impacted. These bills allow for Tribal community economic development, access to clean water, better healthcare, and stronger local and state government economies – integral governmental functions that ensure tribal nations can succeed now and provide strong futures for the next generation. We look forward to working with the House Natural Resources Committee in the 118 th Congress. We hope that you and your colleagues recognize the importance of upholding the treaty and trust responsibility to Indian Tribes and will work on a bi-partisan basis with Tribal Nations to pass meaningful legislation this Congress. Sincerely,
Ernest L. Stevens, Jr., Chairman Indian Gaming Association
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