Newhouse Leads Colleagues to Demand House Vote on MMIW Legislation

Press Release

Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) was joined by Reps. Chris Stewart (R-UT), Pete Stauber (R-MN), and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) to demand a House vote on two pieces of bipartisan legislation to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act. These two bills have passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate and were approved unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee.

The lawmakers convened in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center -- in front of the statue of Sarah Winnemucca, a symbolic figure who fought for the human rights of indigenous women -- to demand Speaker Pelosi bring the legislation to the floor for a vote immediately. Click here to watch the video.

"There is absolutely no reason these bills should not be considered today -- and in fact, it is only the U.S. House of Representatives that is standing in the way of them making it to President Trump's desk for his signature," said Rep. Newhouse. "Speaker Pelosi, I implore you: Let us not allow another day go by that this chamber fails to address this crisis. We must act now."

"It has been 190 days -- more than half a year -- since these two bills passed unanimously by the United States Senate with complete bipartisan support," said Rep. Stewart. "And yet they sit and languish here in the House. Speaker Pelosi, please tell us why."

"As Members of Congress, I believe that we have a moral obligation and a legislative duty to protect our Native American communities from further exploitation and violence," said Rep. Stauber. "That is why I am calling on Speaker Pelosi to bring forward both the Not Invisible Act and Savanna's Act to the House floor next week."

"I want to thank my colleagues -- those who are gathered here as well as dozens of others who care about this issue -- for trying to elevate this; for trying to make sure that all the murdered and missing indigenous women and all of the women who have been victimized; that we come together to acknowledge that this is not a rural problem. This is not an urban problem. This is an American problem, and it is time that we act," said Rep. Johnson.

Rep. Newhouse closed, "The people I know of our American Indian tribes, indigenous people across our country have had enough. They are fed up. They will not stand for this any longer, and they are rising up together to make sure the United States Congress takes this necessary action… We plead to you, Speaker Pelosi: Please, bring up these completely bipartisan bills."

Background:

On May 14, 2019, Rep. Newhouse joined Reps. Norma Torres (D-CA) and Deb Haaland (D-NM) to introduce Savanna's Act, a bill that aims to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) across the country. The bill develops guidelines and best practices for law enforcement agencies across the country, improves coordination between law enforcement agencies, and enhances reporting, record keeping, and communication for law enforcement and families of victims.

Since the bill's introduction, Rep. Newhouse has continued to urge Congress to act and pass legislation to provide relief to Native communities. In October, he hosted an hour-long bipartisan call-to-action on the House floor. Click here to watch remarks by Rep. Newhouse and his colleagues.

Later that month, Rep. Newhouse arranged meetings with House leadership for two Yakama Nation leaders, then-Chairman Jode Goudy and Councilwoman Samm, who traveled to Washington, D.C., to express the impact the MMIW crisis was having on local communities and to discuss the importance of passing legislation like Savanna's Act.

Savanna's Act was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. While House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-CA) did not meet with the delegation, Rep. Newhouse and the Yakama Nation leaders met with Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) of the House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples, and Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-CA) of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Following the announcement of the Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or Operation Lady Justice, Rep. Newhouse invited Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney to Central Washington to hear firsthand from tribal leaders. The group discussed how federal actions and legislation would help Native communities more effectively investigate crimes and deliver justice to the loved ones of these women. Click here to read more about the meeting in the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Last month, Rep. Newhouse convened a similar meeting, inviting U.S. Attorney Bill Hyslop to meet with local, state, and tribal law enforcement officers and discuss the challenges they face in curbing the disproportionately high murder and violence rates against Native American women. At this meeting, Rep. Newhouse discussed how Savanna's Act would aid law enforcement agencies to track findings and more effectively investigate cases of MMIW. The U.S. Attorney also announced Operation White Swan, a federal effort that aims to curb violence on the Yakama Nation reservation.

On March 11, Savanna's Act passed through the House Judiciary Committee unanimously. Rep. Newhouse issued a statement of support.

On July 17, Rep. Newhouse led a bipartisan letter to Speaker Pelosi, urging congressional action on Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act before August recess. The letter has not received a response.