Urgent: Call your senators
A Carcieri fix was added to an appropriations bill. It is urgent that you call your senators and ask them to withdraw Section 2727 from H.R. 3082 or vote NO in this bill. This will make it possible for the Mashpee Wampanaog to take Middleboro land into trust. Section 2727 will amend the Indian Regulatory Act and allow the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for all tribes.
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Calls should be made to their Washington offices:
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Senator John Kerry
Washington D.C.
218 Russell Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2742
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Senator Scott Brown
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2102
DC Phone: 202-224-4543
Themocracy
I’ll make the call, if for no other reason that attaching this to an appropriations bill strikes me as sleazy at best. Stuff like this should be against the rules in congress… attaching a piece of legislation for which it is known that there are not enough votes for passage to another which likely will pass is downright scummy.
Update… Scott Brown’s office answered and was very polite and said they would pass on my concerns to the Senator.
No answer from Kerry’s office (the phone just kept ringing). Will try again later.
Got a prompt and courteous response yesterday when I called Kerry.
Funnny I had just the opposite response. Kerry office was very polite and will pass on concerns and Brown office was on voice mail which said to call back if it was urgent.
I just got this email from someone who’s a lot smarter than I am with all this Indian law stuff. I would advise you to keep up the calls anyway:
“Hey everybody. I just received an independent confirmation from a well-connected D.C. source that the Carcieri fix in the House spending bill has been removed by the Senate.”
Just called both offices and was told my message would be passed on to both Senators. Bumpkin, I hope your source is correct!
Update: Staff at Senator Kerry’s office was very polite also
Interesting difference… they asked for my zip code while Senator Brown’s office did not.
FWIW.