Update

The Tribal Law and Order Act is coming up for reauthorization; another Senate Appropriations subcommittee agreed to recommend funding for Indian Country from the Crime Victims Fund; legislation to authorize Healing to Wellness courts is moving along; and a bill to repeal a long list of archaic laws has been introduced.

The administration is responding to the crisis in three Great Plains health clinics, the Indian Health Service is undertaking a suicide prevention campaign with the Navajo Nation, and a Senate Appropriations subcommittee is recommending a boost in funding for Indian housing programs.

Bills moving on a new Indian education agency, language programs, early childhood education, a Commission on Native Children, and construction of schools.

Thanks to the support of advocates across the country, we have made significant progress in building bipartisan leadership to encourage the U.S. government to pivot to peace by investing in the structures, tools and resources necessary to prevent violent conflict before it starts.

Because of the countless letters, calls, and tweets you sent to your senators, the Senate voted to block a dangerous and discriminatory anti-refugee legislation, the so-called “American SAFE Act,” from coming to the Senate floor for a vote.

Sometimes, it feels as though partisan gridlock has taken over in Washington. That there’s no hope of any positive legislation passing Congress. Especially now. Especially in an election year. Yet over the past weeks and months, below the surface, sentencing reform is making progress.

Representative Blumenauer and Senator Markey are restoring Sanity to the Nuclear Weapons Budget

Immediately following the events of September 11th, Congress effectively re-engineered the scope of the American presidency. After handing the executive branch an unprecedented expansion of authority in the form of a new blank check for war, legislators next devised and passed a bill that allowed the U.S. government to spy on its own citizens. This was the USA PATRIOT Act.

Whether you attended Spring Lobby Weekend this year or not, you may have heard us talk about the Shaheen-Portman (or Portman-Shaheen these days) energy efficiency bill. Our team at FCNL has worked on this for years, as have many of you — thank you! Some of you have come to two Spring Lobby Weekends focused on passing this legislation.

After seven years with our old website, we’ve redesigned fcnl.org. The transition should make the website more accessible to more people — whether you’ve been working with us for years, or you’re just getting to know our work.