House Votes - H.R. 505: Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act

H.Res. 764: Providing for consideration of H.R. 505

On Ordering the Previous Question
Passed 218-175

On Agreeing to the Resolution
Passed 217-179


H.R. 505: Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007
To express the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity.

Debate

Amendments (GovTrack, Thomas)

Votes

On Motion to Recommit with Instructions
(consideration: CR H11986-11988; text: CR H11986)
Failed 178-235

On Passage
Passed 261-153


FRC: The bill declares that anyone with at least one ancestor indigenous to Hawaii would have a right to autonomy and self-governance and would require the U.S. to assist them in creating their own new separate government.

• The U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. v. Sandoval declared that the U.S. Congress does not have the power to create an Indian tribe where one does not exist.
• Even more recently the U.S. Civil Rights Commission noted that this legislation "would discriminate on the basis of race or national origin and further subdivide the American people into discrete subgroups accorded varying degrees of privilege."

The Bush administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy (PDF) yesterday where his senior advisors recommended President Bush would veto the bill if presented to him.