Sent to Senate Committe on Indian Affairs

This bill has been passed in the House. The bill now goes on to be voted on in the Senate. Keep in mind that debate may be taking place on a companion bill in the Senate, rather than on this particular bill.

The last action was on June 4, 2009, when it was received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is the next step in the process. I have checked their schedule and the only events listed on their calendar is a hearing to identify areas of needed reform in the Indian health care system and explore ideas and suggestions for bringing about those reforms.

H.R. 1385 Passed the US House

On June 3, 2009 the House of Representatives approved the federal recognition bill that gave hope to members of the six Virginia Indian tribes. If the bill passes the Virginia tribes will join the 562 other federally recognized tribes.Approval of the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2009 is closer than ever before. The last session of Congress failed to act upon this bill. Something new this time is a companion bill to grant federal recognition the same day the House approved it introduced by Virginia Senator Jim Webb, and co-sponsor Senator Mark Warner. Congressman Virginia’s tribes signed treaties with the kings of England, not the U.S. federal government.The tribes’ documented history was nearly erased when Virginia officials for nearly 50 years waged a document genocide for the purpose of destroying all state and courthouse records of the American Indians as a result of a 1924 Racial Integrity Act.Webb’s legislation will be reviewed and marked-up by the US Senate Indian Affairs Committee in a hearing before reaching the full Senate body for a final vote, according to his office.

TRACK H.R. 1385 BY CLICKING HERE

H.R. 1385

On April 22, 2009, H.R. 1385, the “Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2009”, was passed by the House Committee on Natural Resources. This positions the legislation to be considered by the full House.

TRACK H.R. 1385 BY CLICKING HERE

Congressional Hope?

H.R. 1294: Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2007 had hopes that the 110th Congress would grant their request of sovereignty. This bill never became law. This bill was proposed in a previous session of Congress. Sessions of Congress last two years, and at the end of each session all proposed bills and resolutions that haven't passed are cleared from the books. Members often reintroduce bills that did not come up for debate under a new number in the next session.

The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009. Now the question is will change and hope come with the One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress which will last from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011 for the Virginia Tribes?

Below is the history of this effort by the Virginia Indian Tribes.

110^th Congress: H.R. 1294Dead

109^th Congress: H.R. 3349Dead

108^th Congress: S. 1423Dead

108^th Congress: H.R. 1938Dead

107^th Congress: S. 2694Dead

107^th Congress: H.R. 2345Dead

106^th Congress: H.R. 5073Dead