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WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement after Attorney General William Barr unveiled a new plan addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people.

“Murder, rape, kidnapping, domestic violence and human trafficking affect women and children in tribal communities at astonishing and unacceptable levels. I applaud Attorney General Barr for taking action today to address these horrific problems,” said Barrasso. “As the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I’ve heard time and again from families whose loved ones have gone missing or whose lives were irreparably changed by violence. Too many cases are underreported or unresolved. By improving data collection and increasing coordination among law enforcement agencies, families across Indian Country have a better chance of bringing their loved ones safely home.”

In 2015, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Barrasso introduced bipartisan legislation to improve and expand resources for victims of crime in tribal communities.

The Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment Act (SURVIVE Act) would support Indian victims of crime by requiring the Department of the Interior to use a dedicated funding stream from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to administer a competitive tribal grant program for victim services and assistance.

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