U.S. Senate Officially Recognizes Lumbee Tribe For Full Federal Benefits, Due To Republican Leadership
This week, the United States Senate officially passed legislation to provide a pathway for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to receive full federal benefits that they have long been unfairly denied. In January, Senator Budd joined Senator Tillis and other members of the North Carolina congressional delegation in reintroducing the Lumbee Fairness Act. The bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which the Senate passed today. The legislative package is now headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said, “For 137 years, the Lumbee Tribe have been fighting for federal recognition, and today the federal government has finally honored that promise. President Trump traveled to Robeson County and pledged to get federal recognition done. He kept that promise and showed extraordinary leadership. With the Senate passage of the NDAA, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina will now achieve full federal recognition and access to every federal benefit they have earned and deserve.”
Tillis continued, “This was a team effort on the part of North Carolina leaders. I am grateful to Chairman John Lowery, Senator Ted Budd, Michael Whatley, and Members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation – including Representatives Rouzer, Hudson, Harris, McDowell, and Moore – for working together to achieve this historic success. I want to thank my staff, especially Cirilo Perez, whose tireless and dedicated work behind the scenes played an instrumental role in breaking a decades-old legislative stalemate and making this historic moment a reality.”
The Lumbee Tribe is the largest American Indian tribe in the Eastern United States. In 1885, North Carolina formally recognized the Lumbee Tribe. Three years later, the Tribe began to seek federal recognition. In 1956, Congress finally passed legislation recognizing the tribe, but the bill included an unfair caveat that denied the Lumbee benefits that every other federally recognized tribe receives.
“For nearly fifty years, the Lumbee Tribe has fought for the same rights and benefits that every other federally recognized tribe receives,” said Senator Budd. “Today, with the passage of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, this long fight is over, and the more than 60,000 members of the Lumbee Tribe will begin the process of receiving the benefits they deserve. I want to thank Senator Tillis for his strong leadership of the North Carolina delegation as we fought for this provision, and his unyielding dedication to the recognition of the Lumbee people throughout his time in the U.S. Senate. Under the leadership of Chairman John Lowery, the Lumbee Tribe has had strong advocates in President Trump and his administration and in Representatives Rouzer and Harris who introduced the Lumbee Fairness Act in the House. I am grateful to have played a role in securing this major victory for such an important group of North Carolinians.”
The members of the Lumbee Tribe are concentrated in Robeson County, North Carolina. Historically, Robeson voted for Democrats but flip to supporting Republicans in 2016. President Trump was one of the first non-North Carolina politicians to fully embrace the need for full recognition for the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina. Since President Trump’s victory, Republicans have come to dominate Robeson County, providing a key electoral victory securing the Republican supermajority in the State House.
Notably, former Governor Cooper and former President Biden expressed support for full Lumbee recognition. However, when Democrats had control in 2021 and 2020, they declined to champion the Lumbee cause, instead focusing on the priorities of radical progressives. Cooper’s Senate campaign declined to comment on whether Cooper even bothered to advocate for the Lumbee Tribe, while Biden was in office.
