The National Congress of American Indians
Resolution #TUL-13-010
TITLE: Fair and Full Federal Mileage Rate for all Disabled Veterans
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, American Indians/Alaska Natives/ Native Hawaiians serve at the highest per capita in the Armed Forces compared to any group of Americans, and have served with valor in all the Nation’s wars from the Revolutionary War through the present; and
WHEREAS, most American Indian veterans live in remote areas of the United States and the cost for transportation to and from Veterans healthcare facilities cause substantial hardships on these veterans seeking service.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NCAI requests Congressional authorization to raise the Veterans Administration Travel Allowance to the Federal mileage rate from the current rate of 41.5 cents per mile for all disabled veterans who travel to and from Veterans Administration Medical Facilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2013 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Cox Business Center from October 13 - 18, 2013 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a quorum present.
President
ATTEST:
Recording Secretary