{"id":29725,"date":"2022-11-21T15:20:58","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T20:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=29725"},"modified":"2022-11-21T18:38:25","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T23:38:25","slug":"long-overdue-senate-passes-bill-for-native-veterans-organization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/11\/21\/long-overdue-senate-passes-bill-for-native-veterans-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Long overdue’: Senate passes bill for Native veterans organization"},"content":{"rendered":"
\r\n
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Rounds'\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRounds’ National American Indian Veterans Charter Bill Passes on Senate Floor\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) speaks on the Senate floor as the Senate unanimously passes National American Indian Veterans Charter bill.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"YouTube\"\t\tYouTube\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota): National American Indian Veterans Charter Bill Passes on Senate Floor<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
‘Long overdue’: Senate passes bill for Native veterans organization<\/div>\r\n
Charter for National American Indian Veterans is decades in the making<\/div>\r\n
Monday, November 21, 2022<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan bill to advance the work of a Native veterans organization is inching toward final passage as the 117th Congress winds down.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nLast Thursday, the U.S. Senate<\/a> passed S.1725<\/a> to grant a Congressional charter for the National American Indian Veterans, Inc. (NAIV) organization. The bill was approved by unanimous consent, meaning it had the support of the entire chamber.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cWe are one step closer to giving our Native American veterans the recognition they truly deserve and have earned,\u201d Sen. Mike Rounds<\/a> (R-South Dakota), the sponsor of S.1752, said on Monday following passage of his bill. \u201cThere are many Congressionally chartered veterans service organizations, but none that solely represent the interests and needs of Native American veterans. Our bill would change that by recognizing the mission and authority of the NAIV with a Congressional charter.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Senator\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) on X\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

My bill creating a Congressional Charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV) unanimously passed the Senate. We are now one step closer to giving our Native American veterans the recognition they truly deserve and have earned.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"X\t\tX (formerly Twitter)\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn remarks on the Senate floor<\/a> last week, Rounds noted that NAIV has worked in every state to advance the interests of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian veterans. As COVID-19<\/a> has affected Indian Country at disproportionate rates, he said the organization secured and distributed supplies and equipment to more than 375 tribes in 30 states\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“NAIV works closely with Tribal Veterans Services Officers to make certain Native American veterans receive proper benefits and resources,” Rounds said<\/a> on Monday. “Congress regularly looks to NAIV for input when addressing issues facing Native American veterans. This charter will help give NAIV a larger platform to continue advocating for and serving the more than 140,000 Native American veterans living in the United States.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nNAIV was founded in 2004, following discussion during a Senate hearing in which lawmakers highlighted the lack of a Congressionally-chartered Native veterans organization<\/a>. The group, which is based on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation<\/a> in South Dakota, operates on a decentralized basis, with 14 regional offices around the nation.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIn New Mexico and across the country, Native Americans have made a profound impact on our country by proudly serving in our Armed Forces,\u201d said Sen. Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n<\/a> (D-New Mexico), a co-sponsor of S.1752<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud the Senate passed our bipartisan legislation that will create a Congressional Charter for the National American Indian Veterans organization.”\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“This organization is an important resource that supports Native veterans and ensures they have access to the benefits that they have earned,” Lujan added. “This approval by the Senate reaffirms our nation\u2019s commitment to Native veterans, who have proudly served throughout America’s history to present day.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n \"National<\/a>

Native veterans salute as a fire is lit at the National Native American Veterans Memorial during a dedication ceremony at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C, on November 11, 2022. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nDespite the commitment of Native veteran leaders, Congress never followed up by granting a charter to NAIV. The bill, which still must pass the U.S. House of Representatives<\/a>, finally moves the effort forward after nearly two decades.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cI am very thankful to Senator Rounds for never giving up on this bill,\u201d Don Loudner, a citizen of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe<\/a> who serves as National Commander of NAIV, said on Monday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \u201cThanks to his efforts, and those of the bipartisan team he assembled, we are closer than at any time, in the last 20 years, to having Congress recognize the sacrifices of generations of American Indians who have answered the nation\u2019s call and fought in every war since the American Revolution,\u201d said Loudner, who is a combat veteran of the Korean War.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nRobert Dunsmore, the veterans service officer for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe<\/a> also hailed passage of S.1752. He served in the U.S. Army and has been working to address Native veteran needs<\/a> across the nation. \r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThis charter is long overdue,\u201d Dunsmore said. \u201cWe as American Indian veterans want to thank the U.S. Senate for moving this forward. We as veterans have been asking for this charter since 2004. We as American Indian veterans hopefully will have voice on matters that pertain to American Indian veterans. As a tribal veteran service officer, I fully endorse this bill.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/a>

A post shared by Indianz.Com (@indianz)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>