{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-alaska-federation-natives-thanks-congressman-begich-advancing-crucial", "ICYMI: Alaska Federation of Natives Thanks Congressman Begich for Advancing Crucial Legislation", "2025-02-10", "2025", "2025-02", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Nicholas J. Begich III", "B001323", "begich.house.gov", "begich", "https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 February 10, 2025 \u2013 Last week, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) publicly thanked U.S. Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) for his leadership in advancing critical pieces of legislation for Alaska. H.R. 42, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act, and H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025 passed the U.S. House with strong bi-partisan support \u2013 a testament of Congressman Begich\u2019s leadership in Congress.\n\nAFN Thanks Congressman Begich for Advancing Alaska Native Legislation\n\nFebruary 7, 2025\n\nAnchorage, AK \u2013 The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) thanks Congressman Nick Begich for his leadership in securing the quick passage of H.R. 42, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act, and H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on February 4.\n\nThe next step for H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 is to pass through the United States Senate. AFN looks forward to actively working with Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan for a swift passage of both these bills. H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 not only uphold the promises made to Alaska Natives but also empower our people to make crucial decisions about their land and resources.\n\n\u201cWe commend Congressman Begich for prioritizing fairness and self-determination for Alaska Natives,\u201d said Ben Mallott, AFN President. \u201cBoth of these pieces of legislation will have a lasting impact on our communities, ensuring that vital payments are protected and that village corporations can fully utilize their lands for the benefit of their communities.\u201d\n\nAFN thanks and recognizes the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association (ANVCA) for its dedicated work in advancing H.R. 43. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership to secure final passage early in the 119th Congress.\n\nBackground on H.R. 42 and H.R. 43\n\nH.R. 42 \u2013 Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act ensures that settlement trust payments from Alaska Native Corporations are not counted as income when determining eligibility for federal assistance programs for elderly, visually impaired, or disabled Alaska Natives. H.R. 42 prevents vulnerable individuals from having to choose between their settlement benefits and essential aid.\n\nH.R. 43 \u2013 Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025 bill removes the requirement for village corporations to transfer lands to the State of Alaska for future municipalities, restoring full control of these lands to the corporations. H.R. 43 ensures these lands can be used for the benefit of their rightful communities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T23:42:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-alaska-federation-natives-thanks-congressman-begich-advancing-crucial"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0643459390848875, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}