Missouri Sen. McCaskill's Statement Anti-Native

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

Senator Claire McCaskill

WASHINGTON - The Native American Contractors Association has called a press statement from Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri - Democrat, as being an "Anti-Native" agenda for targeting a contract awarded to Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Research and Technical Solutions, a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.

In a letter sent on September 16 to NASA Inspector General Paul Martin, Sen. McCaskill alleges that Arctic Slope Regional Corporation received a non-competitive contract under false pretenses. Sen. McCaskill continues her attack on Native 8 (a) following her anti-Native legislation and amendments introduced earlier this year.

"Native American Contractors Association takes issue with the fact that Sen. McCaskill continues to advance her Anti-Native agenda by limiting Native American participation in the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program, stated Jim Gray, Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association.

Native Enterprises provide exceptional value to the US government and to the Native communities they serve. Gray continued, "I find it ironic that McCaskill would scrutinize a contract to ASRC when the Boeing Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri recently was awarded an $181,663,400 non-competitive, cost plus contract", according to Federal Contracts Training Center.

SBA regulations implemented in February 2011 have already significantly reformed Native Enterprise participation in the 8(a) program. Native Enterprises are a vital economic engine for the broader Native American and Native Hawaiian communities, which represent hundreds, thousands, and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of tribal members and tribal shareholders. Furthermore, the profits of Native 8(a) provide jobs, educational opportunities, language preservation initiatives, and infrastructure projects including community centers and housing to hundreds of thousands of Native Americans and Native Hawaiians.

"Further scrutiny from Sen. McCaskill is unwarranted because initiatives such as the 8(a) program honor the government's promise to bring economic self-sufficiency to Native people and honors its Federal Trust responsibility to Tribes," stated Native American Contractors Association Chairman Lance Morgan.

Contrary to Sen. McCaskill's attacks, Native Enterprise participation in 8(a) is one of the very few federal programs that make a difference in the lives of American Indians and Native Hawaiians.

posted September 22, 2011 7:30 am edt