SRES-144-116
Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR 4/4/2019 S2279-2280)
Sponsored by Steve Daines (R-MT)
What it does
This Senate resolution designates May 5, 2019, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls." It is a symbolic, one-time declaration with no binding legal effect, no appropriation of funds, and no creation or modification of any federal program or law. The resolution passed the Senate by unanimous consent on April 4, 2019.
Who benefits
Native American and Alaska Native women and girls, and their families, who may gain increased public visibility for the issue of violence and disappearances affecting their communities. Advocacy organizations focused on Indigenous women's safety may benefit from the platform the designation provides. Tribal governments and leaders who have sought federal recognition of this issue may view the resolution as an acknowledgment of their concerns.
Who is hurt
No specific group faces a direct, material negative effect from this resolution. Because it carries no legal mandates, funding changes, or regulatory requirements, no individual, organization, or government entity incurs a legal obligation or financial cost as a result of its passage.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that designating a national day of awareness shines a necessary spotlight on a documented public safety crisis: Native American and Alaska Native women experience murder rates more than ten times the national average in some areas, and thousands of cases go underpublicized. They contend that symbolic federal recognition is a meaningful first step toward building the political will for more substantive action, and that it honors the dignity of victims and their families. Supporters also note the resolution passed with unanimous bipartisan support, reflecting broad agreement that the issue warrants national attention.
Opponents argue
Opponents, or skeptics, argue that a one-day symbolic designation without accompanying funding, enforcement mechanisms, or policy changes does little to materially improve the safety of Native women and girls. They contend that congressional resolutions of this type can serve as a substitute for substantive legislation, allowing lawmakers to signal concern without committing resources or enacting enforceable protections. Critics may also argue that the underlying problems — jurisdictional gaps between tribal, state, and federal law enforcement — require concrete statutory fixes that a commemorative resolution does not provide.