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Rep. Young Condemns Ill-conceived Legislation Introduced by Colleague
Washington D.C.,
Nov 22 -
Alaskan Congressman Don Young released the following statement this morning in response to legislation (H.R. 6447) filed by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) that would prove detrimental to the successful Alaskan Native Corporations:
“I am outraged by the egregious overreaching by my colleague from Mississippi. Rep. Thompson is letting the media dictate his legislation and that is bad policy. Native participation in the 8(a) program allows the United States to keep its promises to Alaska Natives and Indian tribes while creating the opportunities they need to create better lives for themselves. Congress did its job in creating the program, and it is now up to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to enforce the policies already in place. If changes are needed, the SBA should work with the affected parties through tribal consultation before any decisions are made.
“With all due respect to my colleague, Rep. Thompson is from Mississippi and knows nothing about Alaska Natives. I am deeply disappointed that he chose not to work with me on this issue. I would expect Members to respect each other and not directly attack each others home districts. I am elected to represent and protect the best interests of my state and its people and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this ill-conceived legislation never sees the light of day.”
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