Rounds’ RESPECT Act Passes Senate With Unanimous Support

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made the following statement after legislation he introduced, the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act, passed the Senate unanimously:

“My colleagues in the Senate took a great first step toward righting the wrongs that have been done to Native Americans throughout our history,” said Rounds. “Our RESPECT Act will repeal a number of immoral, racist federal laws related to the treatment of Native Americans. While these outdated laws may no longer be enforced, they still take an emotional toll on our Native American neighbors today. There is no reason for them to be part of our federal code, and once our bill is enacted, they no longer will be. I thank Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and James Lankford for joining me in introducing the RESPECT Act this Congress.”

Rounds’ RESPECT Act first passed the Senate in 2017, but it was unable to pass the House due to time constraints on their legislative calendar. This year, Rounds was joined by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) to introduce the RESPECT Act in the Senate. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.).  The legislation now awaits action in the House before it can be signed into law by President Trump.

###