WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) , vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, issued the following statement on the Department of Justice (DOJ) announcement of a “National Strategy to Address Missing and Murdered Native Americans,” which takes much of its framework from the Udall-co-sponsored Savanna’s Act that advanced to the Senate floor after passing the Indian Affairs Committee this week:
“The Department of Justice’s announcement is welcome, but long overdue. The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is appalling and demands the full attention of the federal government and the entire nation. We cannot continue to tolerate this violence, and Native women and families are entitled to justice. After dragging its feet on this issue – including showing up unprepared to take a position on our MMIW bills at a recent Indian Affairs hearing in June – this is a positive step from the Trump administration. I am glad to see that the Trump Department of Justice has incorporated major portions of legislation that we have developed in Congress into their action plan. Now that the administration clearly supports Savanna’s Act, there should be no further delay in enacting this urgently-needed legislation.”
