‘Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act’ will Hurt Tribes

MANDAREE, N.D. — Today, the Inter-Tribal Economic Alliance, led by Board Chairman Tex G. Hall, reacted with concern to news that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1873, the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act.

The Act would place a limit on the size of contracts awarded to businesses owned by Tribes and Community Enterprises supporting Native cultures in 35 states. The Act places a sunset date of December 31st of this year for Congress to legislate an exception for businesses operated by American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations recognized by Congress. Otherwise, the White House Office of Management and Budget would have the power to set a limit on the dollar value of contracts that these firms are currently eligible for.

ITEA Chairman Tex Hall said, “The Tribal 8(a) program acknowledges the government to government relationship of our Indian nations — it is a trust responsibility. Tribes have just begun to participate — this bill is a set back on one of the most successful economic development tools available to Indian Country.”

“Right now, Tribes should be contacting their Senators and telling them to put the brakes on this bill. The fact is that Native 8(a) contracts account for a mere 6.2% of ALL 8(a) contracts awarded, and .2%, that’s 2 tenths of 1 one percent of ALL federal contracting dollars awarded out there,” Chairman Hall continued. “We barely have participation. We just get started, we just get our feet under us, and once again, our opportunities are cut short, it’s not right. We need to unify to make sure that our friends in the Senate understand the importance of the Tribal 8(a) to our rural communities and to our Tribes. Instead of out-sourcing jobs to Asia, we should be in-sourcing jobs to Indian Country, plain and simple.”

The Inter Tribal Economic Alliance is a national nonprofit advocate for economic development and job creation inside Indian reservations, Alaska villages and Hawaiian homelands. Chairman Tex Hall is the former two term elected President of the National Congress of American Indians and a former Tribal Chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation in North Dakota.

Source: Inter-Tribal Economic Alliance

CONTACT: Tex Hall, +1-701-721-5175, or Robin Danner, +1-808-652-0140,
both of the Inter-Tribal Economic Alliance