U.S. Sens. Richard Burr, a Republican, and Kay Hagan, a Democrat, have introduced the Lumbee Recognition Act to provide full federal recognition to the Lumbee tribe based in Robeson County along Interstate 95.

The Lumbee have for years tried to earn federal recognition through congressional action, but have repeatedly fallen short, reports Barb Barrett. The Lumbee earned state recognition in 1885.

Federal recognition would allow the Lumbee access to federal housing and education benefits. Federally recognized tribes also earn the right to build casinos on their tribal land. But the Lumbee have in the past agreed to forgo that right in return for recognition.

Among the bill’s opponents in the past have been U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat who represents the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians in western North Carolina.

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming passed — again — a resolution that would allow the Lumbee Indian tribe to receive federal recognition.

The bill has passed the House three times in recent years but continually stalled in the Senate, Barb Barrett reports.

Federal recognition would allow the Lumbee tribe, based in Robeson County, to receive federal housing and education benefits. The bill has been opposed by members who represent other tribes, including Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry and Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, both from the Cherokee region of western North Carolina.

Congress singled out the tribe in 1956 and said it could not be recognized by the Bureau. Now, many opponents say the Lumbee would be improperly bypassing the bureaucratic path to recognition. McHenry and Shuler offered an amendment that would have allowed the Lumbee to go through the process, overturning the 1956 law.

But in an impassioned speech U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, said the bill is more about justice.

More after the jump.

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Will the Lumbee be recognized? 

The American Indian tribe won a small victory Wednesday when congressional legislation to give them federal recognition passed the House Natural Resources Committee on a voice vote, Barb Barrett reports.

The bill now goes to the full House of Representatives. The bill, by U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, would allow federal recognition of the Lumbee tribe.

The tribe, based in Robeson County, is the largest tribe east of the Mississippi with an estimated 55,000 members. It has state recognition but has been blocked from earning federal status.

The federal recognition would allow the tribe to receive housing and health benefits. Usually, it also would allow for tribal casinos, but McIntyre agreed to a compromise last Congress that would prohibit the Lumbees from having gambling. 

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan is backing Lumbee recognition.

The Greensboro Democrat sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre last week backing his legislation for the federal government to recognize the Lumbees as a tribe.

"For far too long, thousands of Lumbees have been denied access to federal services and it is time they are afforded the same rights and protections otherwise available to a federally designated tribe," she wrote.

A 1956 law has stopped the 40,000 members of the Lumbee tribe from applying for recognition through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Some oppose the recognition out of concern that it could lead to new casinos.

Hagan joins a diverse list of North Carolina politicians who have backed Lumbee recognition, including Sen. Richard Burr, former Sens. Elizabeth Dole, John Edwards and Gov. Mike Easley.

McIntyre's bill has 180 cosponsors in the House. 

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has a long resume.

As a former debutante who grew up in 1950s North Carolina, she broke with tradition to become a two-time Cabinet secretary, head of the American Red Cross, wife of a presidential candidate then candidate herself and U.S. senator.

Even in the current anti-Washington climate, Dole thinks her experience running major organizations will resonate with voters. (N&O)

Still, she's remained a back-bencher in her first term, a senator more likely to co-sponsor major legislation than author it, more likely to join a group of negotiators than lead it. She's now being criticized for her effectiveness in Washington.

Dole has blocked some international trade deals until they included provisions to shield local textile companies from overseas competition. She led an effort to protect military families from predatory lending and she forced the Navy to provide information on toxic water at Camp Lejeune.

But her star turn at the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee ended miserably and she's been frustrated at efforts to get the Lumbee tribe recognized. (N&O)

How often have North Carolina's senators worked with John McCain?

A quick search of legislation filed in recent years shows a handful of bills which U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr have cosponsored with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Burr signed on to four McCain-sponsored bills: Imposing sanctions on the Burmese junta, creating a federal gas-tax holiday this summer, requiring illegal immigrants to pay back taxes before becoming citizens and designating a National Mentoring Month.

Dole signed on to the Burmese sanctions and the mentoring month as well as an amendment to name a military spending bill for Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican.

In addition, McCain signed on to two Dole bills: Recognizing the Lumbees as a tribe and awarding a Congressional Medal of Honor to Tony Blair.

He did not sign on to any Burr-sponsored bills. 

What bipartisan efforts has U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole worked on?

At Dome's request, the Salisbury Republican's staffers sent a list of bipartisan efforts that she is most proud of from the past six years:

* Climate Change: Dole co-sponsored a "cap and trade" bill to reduce carbon emissions by Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman and Republican John Warner this session.

* Military Family Leave: Dole co-sponsored a bill by Sen. Hillary Clinton to allow some workers 12-month leaves to care for family members wounded in action.

* Lumbee Recognition: Dole worked with Gov. Mike Easley, U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski, among others, on legislation to recognize the Lumbee tribe.

* Tobacco Quota Buyout: Dole worked with U.S. Reps. McIntyre and Bob Etheridge on a tobacco quota buyout program included in a 2004 jobs bill.

* Catching Fugitives: Dole co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Richard Durbin to give law enforcement agencies help capturing fugitives from the U.S. Marshals.

Dole's staffers also cited her work on 211 expansion with Clinton, creating infrastructure bonds with Sen. Ron Wyden, requiring a White House conference on nutrition with Sen. John Kerry, demanding Iraq fund a greater share of its reconstruction with Sen. Ben Nelson, and amending trade adjustment laws and calling for an Oil and Gas Market Fraud Task Force with Sen. Maria Cantwell.

Previously: Dole's Democratic cosponsors 2003-08.

How bipartisan has U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole been?

From 2003 to 2008, the Salisbury Republican was the primary sponsor of 140 bills. Of them, 80 had no cosponsors, 27 had only Republican cosponsors and 33 had Democratic cosponsors.

Overall, her 264 cosponsors included 164 Republicans and 100 Democrats, or about three-to-two ratio. A bill to give British Prime Minister Tony Blair the Congressional Medal of Honor was the most bipartisan measure, with 30 Democratic cosponsors.

Another bipartisan bill would have phased out reduced-price lunches at public schools by increasing eligibility for free lunches. Six Republican and eight Democrats signed on.

The most frequent Democratic cosponsor was Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who signed on to seven bills, including ones to investigate Camp Lejeune's drinking water and recognize the Lumbee tribe as well as several amendments to bills.

Sen. Joe Lieberman signed onto six bills, including ones to set aside a portion of the gross domestic product for defense spending and provide job training in college. Sens. Ted Kennedy, Tom Harkin, Richard Durbin, Frank Lautenberg and Bill Nelson each signed onto five bills.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards signed onto four Dole bills, including recognizing the Lumbees and honoring Blair.

Previously: Dole's cosponsors in 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole was fairly bipartisan in the 2003-04 session.

With the candidates for Senate touting their records of bipartisanship, Dome has been taking a closer look at the number of Democrats who signed on to legislation Dole sponsored.

In the 2003-04 session, the Salisbury Republican was the primary sponsor of 16 bills. Of them, eight had no cosponsors and eight had Democratic cosponsors.

A bill to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair had 48 Republican cosponsors and 30 Democrats, including Sens. Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman and Chuck Schumer.

Overall, that boosted her Democratic cosponsors to 48, compared to 66 Republican cosponsors, or about a three-to-two ratio.

Her most frequent Democratic cosponsor was fellow North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who signed on to the Blair honors, a bill to recognize the Lumbee tribe, an amendment on a Medicare bill and another amendment.

Previously: Dole's cosponsors in 2005-06 and 2007-08.

How bipartisan has U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole been?

With the candidates for Senate touting their ability to bridge the partisan divide, Dome decided to take a closer look.

One measure is the number of Democrats who signed onto legislation Dole sponsored.

In the 2007-08 session, the Salisbury Republican was the primary sponsor of 75 bills. Of them, 42 had no cosponsor, 18 had only Republican cosponsors and 15 had Democratic cosponsors.

Overall, her 87 cosponsors included 64 Republicans and 23 Democrats, or about a three-to-one ratio.

The most frequent Democratic cosponsors were Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Ted Kennedy. Lieberman, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, signed on to bills praising the Coast Guard for a cocaine seizure, creating a student loan program for worker training and committing 4 percent of the gross domestic product to military spending.

Kennedy signed onto the Coast Guard resolution, an amendment that would require the Navy to publicize Camp Lejeune's drinking water contamination, and a resolution honoring the U.S. Marshals' anniversary.

Dole also had Democratic cosponsors on bills recognizing the Lumbee tribe, giving a tax credit for hunger relief, amending the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Trade Act of 1974, starting a pilot program for pregnant college students, honoring Veterans Day, creating a Southeast Crescent Authority and researching flow batteries.