Help Pass Indian Health Care Legislation

Dear Loyal Readers of this Blog,
Excuse the recent foray into Native American issues, but in case you haven't noticed, nearer to my heart than even the Stephanie Miller Show, are all issues Native. And with the presidential election coverage in full swing, I want to be sure that voters do not forget or ignore issues that face the First Americans. To this end, I am posting the following e-mail that I sent, not to Stephanie Miller, but rather to Senators Coburn and Inhofe (two more obscene and wrong-minded individuals you are unlikely to meet). They are the senators from the state where I reside (Oklahoma) and although they are embarrassments to every thinking Oklahoman, they are our voices in the U.S. Senate, so I must contact them from time to time and attempt to remind them that they are supposed to represent all Oklahomans, not just the right-wing fringe that put them in office and whose values they carry with them to Washington D.C.

Here's the e-mail:
I am writing to urge you to support the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (S. 1200). The vote will likely take place next Tuesday, and I encourage you to vote to enact this important piece of legislation that will help this country keep its promises to the First Americans. The treaties that we signed with Native nations are more than just pieces of paper - they are the supreme law of the land and should be honored as such. This is not a handout; rather it is an obligation that we must honor with our actions. I urge you not only to support this important legislation, but also to pass it without amendments that might weaken the bill. I would appreciate knowing how you vote - I will be following your actions and I will vote accordingly in the fall. In a state that has such a significant Native population, I hope that you will honor the Federal Government's obligations to the Native people of this state and country and pass this bill without delay.

Friends Committee on National Legislation

U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

Bush Threatens to Veto Indian Health Care Bill