WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd applauded President Trump’s signing of an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Interior Secretary to pursue all options to finally grant the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina with full federal recognition: 

“I applaud President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to prioritize the Lumbee Tribe’s fight for full federal recognition and the federal benefits they have long been denied,” said Senator Tillis. “In September 2024, President Trump made a promise to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to right the historical wrongs of the Indian Termination Era, and today’s executive order is a major step to correcting that wrong. I remain committed to working with President Trump and the North Carolina Congressional Delegation in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to pass the Lumbee Fairness Act to ensure the Lumbee Tribe’s federal recognition is secure and free from legal obstacles.” 

“I would like to thank President Trump for keeping his promise to the more than 60,000 members of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina who have waited decades for federal recognition,” said Senator Budd. “Today's action underscores the urgent need to pass the Lumbee Fairness Act, which Senator Tillis and I reintroduced earlier this month. We will continue to work with the president, the Interior Department, and my congressional colleagues to get this bill passed and signed into law.”

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