Newhouse Applauds Action on Savanna's Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee voted to unanimously pass H.R. 2733, Savanna's Act:

"This action is long overdue, but it is a welcomed step forward," said Rep. Newhouse. "I introduced Savanna's Act to empower our tribal communities and law enforcement agencies to address the devastating crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. This issue has impacted our Native friends and neighbors in Central Washington and across the country for decades, and I applaud the House Judiciary Committee for finally taking action on this bipartisan effort. I will continue to work on behalf of the loved ones affected by this crisis to bring this important legislation to the House floor for a vote."

On May 14, 2019, Rep. Newhouse joined Reps. Norma Torres (D-CA) and Deb Haaland (D-NM) to introduce Savanna's Act, a bill that aims to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) across the country. The bill develops guidelines and best practices for law enforcement agencies across the country, improves coordination between law enforcement agencies, and enhances reporting, record keeping, and communication for law enforcement and families of victims.

Since the bill's introduction, Rep. Newhouse has continued to urge Congress to act and pass legislation to provide relief to Native communities. In October, he hosted an hour-long bipartisan call-to-action on the House floor. Click here to watch remarks by Rep. Newhouse and his colleagues.

Later that month, Rep. Newhouse arranged meetings with House leadership for two Yakama Nation leaders, then-Chairman Jode Goudy and Councilwoman Samm, who traveled to Washington, D.C., to express the impact the MMIW crisis was having on local communities and to discuss the importance of passing legislation like Savanna's Act.

Savanna's Act was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. While House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-CA) did not meet with the delegation, Rep. Newhouse and the Yakama Nation leaders met with Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) of the House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples, and Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-CA) of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Following the announcement of the Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or Operation Lady Justice, Rep. Newhouse invited Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney to Central Washington to hear firsthand from tribal leaders. The group discussed how federal actions and legislation would help Native communities more effectively investigate crimes and deliver justice to the loved ones of these women. Click here to read more about the meeting in the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Last month, Rep. Newhouse convened a similar meeting, inviting U.S. Attorney Bill Hyslop to meet with local, state, and tribal law enforcement officers and discuss the challenges they face in curbing the disproportionately high murder and violence rates against Native American women. At this meeting, Rep. Newhouse discussed how Savanna's Act would aid law enforcement agencies to track findings and more effectively investigate cases of MMIW. The U.S. Attorney also announced Operation White Swan, a federal effort that aims to curb violence on the Yakama Nation reservation.