A bill to accept the request to revoke the charter of incorporation of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota at the request of that Community, and for other purposes.

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Bill ID: 119/s/621
Last Updated: December 12, 2025

Sponsored by

Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

ID: S001203

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8687; text: CR S8687)

December 11, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed Senate

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill moves to the House for consideration.

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another thrilling episode of "Congressional Theater" brought to you by the esteemed members of the 119th Congress. Today's feature presentation is S. 621, a bill that will surely cure all the ills of Native American communities everywhere... or not.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of this bill is to revoke the charter of incorporation of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota at their request. Wow, what a bold move! I'm sure it took tremendous courage for our lawmakers to accept a request from a community that's been begging them to do so. One can only assume that the real objective here is to... wait for it... "empower" Native American communities by stripping them of their corporate identity. Yeah, that's it.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill simply revokes the charter of incorporation issued under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Oh, and there are some other purposes mentioned, but let's be real, who needs specifics when you're dealing with a community that's been marginalized for centuries? The key provision here is that our lawmakers get to pretend they care about Native American issues while actually doing nothing meaningful.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The Lower Sioux Indian Community will surely be thrilled to have their charter revoked. I mean, who needs corporate status when you can just rely on the benevolence of Congress? Other affected parties include:

* The Secretary of the Interior (who gets to sign off on this meaningless gesture) * Various Native American advocacy groups (who will likely be disappointed by the lack of actual progress) * Lobbyists for Native American organizations (who will probably get a nice fat check for pretending to care)

**Potential Impact & Implications:** The impact of this bill will be negligible, but hey, at least it's something. The real implication here is that our lawmakers are more interested in grandstanding than actual governance. This bill is a perfect example of "legislative theater," where politicians pretend to address an issue while doing nothing to actually solve the problem.

**Diagnosis:** The patient (Congress) is suffering from a severe case of "Symbolic Gesture Syndrome" (SGS), characterized by a tendency to pass meaningless legislation that sounds good but accomplishes nothing. The symptoms are clear:

* A lack of actual policy changes * Overuse of buzzwords like "empowerment" and "community" * A complete disregard for the real issues affecting Native American communities

**Treatment:** The only cure for SGS is a healthy dose of skepticism and a strong stomach. Unfortunately, this bill will likely pass with flying colors, and our lawmakers will pat themselves on the back for doing something "meaningful." Meanwhile, the Lower Sioux Indian Community will still be waiting for actual progress.

In conclusion, S. 621 is a perfect example of how Congress loves to pretend to care about issues while doing nothing to actually address them. It's

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Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

đź’° Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$59,154
21 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$32,754
Committees
$0
Individuals
$26,400

No PAC contributions found

1
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
2 transactions
$6,600
2
MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION
3 transactions
$5,300
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
3 transactions
$3,300
4
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
1 transaction
$3,300
5
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,900
6
MILLE LACS BAND OF OJIBWE INDIANS
2 transactions
$2,500
7
MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
1 transaction
$2,000
8
MS BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS
1 transaction
$1,500
9
FOND DU LAC BAND
1 transaction
$1,000
10
PRAIRIE ISLAND TRIBAL COUNCIL
1 transaction
$1,000
11
BILL HITTE TRUST
1 transaction
$1,000
12
PRECISION DIE TECHNOLOGIES
1 transaction
$1,000
13
LOWER SIOUX INDIAN COMMUNITY
1 transaction
$500
14
SOBOBA BAND OF LUISENO INDIANS
1 transaction
$500
15
THE CHICKASAW NATION
1 transaction
$250
16
WINRED
1 transaction
$104

No committee contributions found

1
HUSS, ALVIN JR
2 transactions
$6,600
2
HUSS, RUTH
2 transactions
$6,600
3
BLUE, ALLEN
2 transactions
$6,600
4
BROWN, TEAL
1 transaction
$3,300
5
BURNETT, JASON
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

ID: K000367

Top Contributors

10

1
LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE
Organization CASS LAKE, MN
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$3,300
Aug 25, 2023
3
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
Organization DURANT, OK
$2,500
Oct 7, 2024
4
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$2,300
Jul 17, 2023
5
ARISTOTLE INTERNATIONAL
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
Organization WASHINGTON, DC
$500
Jul 19, 2024
6
SMITH, BRADFORD
MICROSOFT CORPORATION • ATTORNEY
Individual BELLEVUE, WA
$6,600
Mar 30, 2023
7
SMITH, BRADFORD
Individual BELLEVUE, WA
$6,600
Mar 30, 2023
8
BADEN, DREW
PROFESSOR • UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Individual BETHESDA, MD
$6,600
Feb 23, 2024
9
CAUCHY, CONSTANCE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
Individual MIDLAND, MI
$6,600
Jun 2, 2024
10
BADEN, DREW
Individual BETHESDA, MD
$6,600
Mar 11, 2024

Donor Network - Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 24 nodes and 33 connections

Total contributions: $68,254

Top Donors - Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount

16 Orgs5 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. Higher similarity scores indicate stronger thematic connections.

Introduction

Low 48.7%
Pages: 30-32

— xxix — Contributors Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise Institute Ben Lieberman, Competitive Enterprise Institute John Ligon Evelyn Lim, American Cornerstone Institute Mario Loyola, Competitive Enterprise Institute John G. Malcolm, The Heritage Foundation Joseph Masterman, Cooper & Kirk, PLLC Earl Matthews, The Vandenberg Coalition Dan Mauler, Heritage Action for America Drew McCall, American Cornerstone Institute Trent McCotter, Boyden Gray & Associates Micah Meadowcroft, The American Conservative Edwin Meese III, The Heritage Foundation Jessica Melugin, Competitive Enterprise Institute Frank Mermoud, Orpheus International Mark Miller, Office of Governor Kristi Noem Cleta Mitchell, Conservative Partnership Institute Kevin E. Moley Caitlin Moon, American Center for Law & Justice Clare Morell, Ethics and Public Policy Center Mark Morgan, The Heritage Foundation Hunter Morgen, American Cornerstone Institute Rachel Morrison, Ethics and Public Policy Center Jonathan Moy, The Heritage Foundation Iain Murray, Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Nabil, National Taxpayers Union Michael Nasi, Jackson Walker LLP Lucien Niemeyer, The Niemeyer Group, LLC Nazak Nikakhtar Milan “Mitch” Nikolich Matt O’Brien, Immigration Reform Law Institute Caleb Orr, Boyden Gray & Associates Michael Pack Leah Pedersen Michael Pillsbury, The Heritage Foundation Patrick Pizzella, Leadership Institute Robert Poole, Reason Foundation Christopher B. Porter Kevin Preskenis, Allymar Health Solutions Pam Pryor, National Committee for Religious Freedom Thomas Pyle, Institute for Energy Research John Ratcliffe, American Global Strategies

Introduction

Low 48.7%
Pages: 30-32

— xxix — Contributors Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise Institute Ben Lieberman, Competitive Enterprise Institute John Ligon Evelyn Lim, American Cornerstone Institute Mario Loyola, Competitive Enterprise Institute John G. Malcolm, The Heritage Foundation Joseph Masterman, Cooper & Kirk, PLLC Earl Matthews, The Vandenberg Coalition Dan Mauler, Heritage Action for America Drew McCall, American Cornerstone Institute Trent McCotter, Boyden Gray & Associates Micah Meadowcroft, The American Conservative Edwin Meese III, The Heritage Foundation Jessica Melugin, Competitive Enterprise Institute Frank Mermoud, Orpheus International Mark Miller, Office of Governor Kristi Noem Cleta Mitchell, Conservative Partnership Institute Kevin E. Moley Caitlin Moon, American Center for Law & Justice Clare Morell, Ethics and Public Policy Center Mark Morgan, The Heritage Foundation Hunter Morgen, American Cornerstone Institute Rachel Morrison, Ethics and Public Policy Center Jonathan Moy, The Heritage Foundation Iain Murray, Competitive Enterprise Institute Ryan Nabil, National Taxpayers Union Michael Nasi, Jackson Walker LLP Lucien Niemeyer, The Niemeyer Group, LLC Nazak Nikakhtar Milan “Mitch” Nikolich Matt O’Brien, Immigration Reform Law Institute Caleb Orr, Boyden Gray & Associates Michael Pack Leah Pedersen Michael Pillsbury, The Heritage Foundation Patrick Pizzella, Leadership Institute Robert Poole, Reason Foundation Christopher B. Porter Kevin Preskenis, Allymar Health Solutions Pam Pryor, National Committee for Religious Freedom Thomas Pyle, Institute for Energy Research John Ratcliffe, American Global Strategies — xxx — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Paul Ray, The Heritage Foundation Joseph Reddan, Flexilis Forestry, LLC Jay W. Richards, The Heritage Foundation Jordan Richardson, Heise Suarez Melville, P.A. Jason Richwine, Center for Immigration Studies Shaun Rieley, The American Conservative Lora Ries, The Heritage Foundation Leo Rios Mark Robeck, Energy Evolution Consulting LLC James Rockas, ACLJ Action Mark Royce, NOVA-Annandale College Reed Rubinstein, America First Legal Foundation William Ruger, American Institute for Economic Research Austin Ruse, Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam) Brent D. Sadler, The Heritage Foundation Alexander William Salter, Texas Tech University Jon Sanders, John Locke Foundation Carla Sands, America First Policy Institute Robby Stephany Saunders, Coalition for a Prosperous America David Sauve Brett D. Schaefer, The Heritage Foundation Nina Owcharenko Schaefer, The Heritage Foundation Matt Schuck, American Cornerstone Institute Justin Schwab, CGCN Law Jon Schweppe, American Principles Project Marc Scribner, Reason Foundation Darin Selnick, Selnick Consulting Josh Sewell, Taxpayers for Common Sense Kathleen Sgamma, Western Energy Alliance Matt Sharp, Alliance Defending Freedom Judy Shelton, Independent Institute Nathan Simington Loren Smith, Skyline Policy Risk Group Zack Smith, The Heritage Foundation Jack Spencer, The Heritage Foundation Adrienne Spero, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Thomas W. Spoehr, The Heritage Foundation Peter St Onge, The Heritage Foundation Chris Stanley, Functional Government Initiative Paula M. Stannard Parker Stathatos, Texas Public Policy Foundation William Steiger, Independent Consultant

Introduction

Low 46.5%
Pages: 473-475

— 440 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Repeal Inflation Reduction Act programs providing grants for environmental science activities. AMERICAN INDIAN OFFICE (AIO) AIO is a vital EPA function. It is mandated to carry out a 1992 act of Congress that administers the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.51 Because of the sovereign-to-sovereign relationship between the U.S. government and fed- erally recognized sovereign Indian nations, this act’s purpose is to assist tribes in developing the capacity to manage their own tribal environmental protection programs and set them up to implement programs for the management of solid and hazardous waste. This office also is the chief office under which the EPA’s 1984 Indian Policy functions. Needed Reforms AIO should be significantly elevated as a stand-alone EPA Assistant Admin- istrator office. This would send a clear message to American Indians and Alaska Native Villages that the agency takes seriously the environmental issues plaguing Indian Country. While designated a “headquarters” office with direct reporting to the Administrator, its location should be in the American West, closer to most tribal nations. This could include Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Dallas, Texas; or Denver, Colorado. The state of Oklahoma is considered the tribal center of Amer- ica and is home to 39 federally recognized tribes, including the “Five Civilized Tribes.” The other two options are also close to numerous tribes and home to EPA regional offices. New Policies All EPA tribal grants and tribal matters should be run from this office as a one- stop-shop for all tribal affairs. Budget and Personnel AIO should be led by a politically appointed, Senate-confirmed Assistant Admin- istrator, ideally one with strong ties to a federally recognized tribe. He or she should have political deputies and staff to assist the political leadership in carrying out agency policies. Career EPA tribal staff are located throughout the nation in all regional offices but are paid mostly under the budget of the current Office of International and Tribal Affairs, which will be significantly restructured as international functions are reabsorbed into the appropriate media offices (for example, Air, Water, and Land and Emergency Management). Because of this, tribal staff should be fully under the authority of the new American Indian Office and its Assistant Admin- istrator, not the regional offices.

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text. A score of 60% or higher indicates meaningful thematic overlap. This does not imply direct causation or intent, but highlights areas where legislation aligns with Project 2025 policy objectives.