Law enforcement officers, Medal of Honor winners, senior military brass, former members of the Ronald Reagan administration, Polish-Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, conservative leaders, evangelicals, gun owners and NASCAR drivers are among the interest groups who have formally endorsed Donald Trump for president.
One more organization to the has announced their support for Mr. Trump. A newly formed Native American Coalition is made up of members who hail from tribal organizations in 15 states and include both grass-roots leaders and elected officials.
“The daily flood of new federal regulations keep Indian Country from becoming self-sufficient. Local tribal decisions, not federal bureaucrats, are the best way to improve our communities. As both an enrolled member of Cherokee Nation and a member of Congress, I will stand with Donald Trump in supporting tribal sovereignty and reining in federal over-regulation,” said Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma Republican and chairman of the group.
“As a local elected official, I am outraged that Indian Country is prevented from harnessing our own energy resources by ever-increasing regulations,” said New Mexico State Rep. Sharon Clahchischilliage. “The Trump administration will ease restrictions on American energy reserves worth trillions of dollars. Together we will block the bureaucrats holding Native American businesses back and bring new jobs into our communities.”
See Mr. Trump’s complete announcement here
The organization also cites other troublesome policies.
“Hillary Clinton’s war on coal interferes with our sovereign right to develop energy on native lands. We need a new traffic cop so the federal government stops playing gatekeeper with tribal economies,” said Ross Swimmer, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Former Poarch Band of Creek Indian chairman Eddie Tullis noted that Mrs. Clinton “favors union bosses over tribal authority,” suggesting that native communities be treated like state governments in labor matters.
“Native Americans need a federal government that gets out of the way of small business. As an independent and a successful small businessman, I crossed the line this week and voted for Mr. Trump,” said Fleming Begaye Sr., one of America’s revered Navajo Code Talkers, and an honorary chairman of the new coalition.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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