(On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (the "Akaka Bill") by a tally of 245-164.  The House also voted down an amendment to allow Hawaii citizens to vote on whether to allow the new Native Hawaiian entity to be legally recognized.  LINK>>>Akaka Bill passes House 245-164)

For Immediate Release: February 23, 2010 Office of U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina)

DeMint Statement on Native Hawaiian Bill 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, made the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 245-164 to pass a bill that would create a race-based government for Native-Hawaiians living throughout the United States.

"The House vote this evening is deeply disappointing.  We should stand together in opposition to racially divisive and discriminatory laws like this. The Native Hawaiian bill is unconstitutional and violates the national unity of E Pluribus Unum.  I will use all the tools available in the Senate to ensure that this bill does not become law."

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(EDITOR’S NOTE: Sen. De Mint has placed a “hold” blocking Senate consideration of the Akaka Bill.  Other GOP Senators are pledged to do likewise.  They are the only thing protecting Hawaii and Hawaiians from the Akaka Tribe.)  

http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=fdf0418c-c4af-73d8-e623-c67526a390e6

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For Immediate Release  February 23, 2010

Sen. Lamar Alexander: Don’t Establish Race-Based Government for Native Hawaiians, Urges Senate to Oppose House-Passed Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement upon passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (H.R. 2314), which would establish a new governing entity for individuals of native Hawaiian descent:

“I’m disappointed that the House of Representatives passed legislation which the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights opposes because the bill would ‘discriminate on the basis of race.’  The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act would create a new sovereign government within our borders based solely on race.  But in America, we say, ‘One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all’— not ‘Many nations, divided by race, with special privileges for some.’ I urge the Senate to reject this ill-advised legislation as it has done in the past.”

On August 28, 2009, in a letter to members of Congress, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights expressed opposition to the Senate version of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (S. 1101), which it noted is “substantially similar” to legislation rejected by the Senate on June 8, 2006.  In its letter, the Commission quoted its 2006 report opposing the bill because it “would discriminate on the basis of race or national origin and further subdivide the American people into discrete subgroups accorded varying degrees of privilege.”

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RELATED: Akaka Bill Update: Akaka Bill Falters – Good News

HFP Jan 29, 2010:  “Hold” placed on Akaka Bill in Senate could effectively prevent passage