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 calls on the American public and interested groups to commemorate the lives of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, and to show solidarity with victims' families. The resolution is purely symbolic and does not create any new law, program, funding, or legal obligation.
Who benefits
Families of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, who gain formal congressional recognition of their losses. Tribal communities, particularly those in states like Montana with documented high rates of violence against Native women. Advocacy organizations working on this issue, who gain a platform and congressional validation. Researchers and journalists covering the topic may benefit from increased public attention.
Who is hurt
No group is directly harmed by this resolution. Because it is purely commemorative with no regulatory, spending, or legal effect, there are no identifiable cost-bearers or negatively affected parties.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that American Indian and Alaska Native women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average in some tribal communities, according to a Department of Justice-commissioned study, and that homicide was the sixth leading cause of death for Native females aged 1–44 as of 2017 CDC data. They contend that formal congressional recognition raises public awareness of a severely underreported crisis, helps families feel seen by their government, and may build political momentum for future legislative action.
Opponents argue
Opponents might argue that a single-day symbolic resolution, with no accompanying funding, enforcement mechanism, or policy change, does little to materially address the documented crisis facing Native women and girls. They could contend that congressional energy would be better directed toward substantive legislation — such as expanded tribal law enforcement authority or improved federal data collection — rather than commemorative measures that risk substituting symbolism for action.
Constitutional context
No significant constitutional issues are raised by this resolution. It is a purely commemorative measure that does not invoke Congress's enforcement powers, regulate conduct, or affect individual rights. No provisions from the Equal Protection Clause, Commerce Clause, or other relevant constitutional provisions are implicated in a legally contested way.
Checks and balances
The Senate exercises its non-legislative resolution power; the resolution creates no new executive authority, imposes no obligations on any branch, and is not subject to presidential signature or veto.
Historical precedent
Congress has passed similar commemorative resolutions recognizing awareness days for other underserved or at-risk populations, though this resolution is among the earliest federal actions specifically focused on missing and murdered Native women and girls.