WASHINGTON — Legislation that would grant the Lumbee Tribe federal recognition was approved Wednesday by a U.S. House of Representatives committee.

The bipartisan legislation was passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on a voice vote, according to Rep. Dan Bishop, NC-09. The action paves the way for the consideration of the legislation by the full House of Representatives. If approved by the House, the legislation would be sent to the Senate for consideration. Federal recognition legislation, S. 1368, also has been introduced in the Senate

Bishop, a Republican and co-sponsor of the legislation, praised the committee’s action. The Lumbee Tribe has been waiting on federal recognition for a long time and the vote was “a monumental step in that direction,” he said.

“I urge my colleagues to bring this measure to the House of Representatives floor and pass this critical legislation that will change the course of Lumbee history for generations to come,” Bishop said.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat who represents N.C. District 1, first introduced the legislation March 28, 2019.

Lumbee Tribe Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. thanked Bishop for his support of the legislation, H.R. 1964, and his work to move the Lumbee Recognition Act out of the House committee.

“Rep. Bishop has made the Lumbee and Lumbee recognition a priority since his first day in office,” Godwin said.

In December 2019, Bishop testified before the Natural Resources Committee encouraging federal recognition for the tribe.

Richard Sneed, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, attended a December meeting of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States, which is part of the House Natural Resources Committee, and spoke against passage of the legislation. Parts of his opening were spoken in the tribe’s native language.

“The Lumbees have falsely claimed to be Cherokee multiple times,” Sneed said.

The Lumbees have claimed over the years to be many other tribes, including Tuscarora and Croatoan, he said.

“Congress should not reward this identity shopping with federal recognition,” Sneed said.