Alaska’s new Congressman Nick Begich has gotten two bills passed by the House, and he’s only been in office for one month.
These are firsts for the Congress: Begich is the first new congressional representatives to get a bill passed this year.
Both of the bills are for Alaska Natives and are bills that his predecessor could never move and both of the bills were introduced by Begich the day he was sworn in as Alaska’s newest congressman, Jan. 3.
Although the Alaska Federation of Natives opposed Begich during his campaign and would not even allow him to speak as a candidate during the AFN convention in October, Begich did not allow that insult to stop him from serving up good legislation that gets more Alaska lands out of federal control and helps impoverished Native Alaskans with basic needs.
HR 42: The bill makes it so that any settlement trust payments to an Alaska Native who is blind, elderly, or disabled will not be used to calculate the actual income that determines that person’s eligibility for some federal programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps). The bill can be read at this link.
HR 43: To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, and for other purposes. The bill can be read at this link.
Earlier in the day, Begich was chosen by Speaker Mike Johnson to be Speaker Pro Tempore for the House proceedings of Feb. 4.
Watch the video him serving as presiding officer: