I urge U.S. Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins to support Senate action on H.R. 6707, a bill introduced by Jared Golden and co-sponsored by fellow U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree to ensure that federal laws apply to Wabanakis in Maine.

Of the 570 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., Wabanakis are unique in that federal laws do not apply to them unless the laws specifically mention Maine tribes. Because of this unique federal status, Wabanakis do not benefit from important federal supports for economic development and public safety. Wabanakis’ greater poverty and insecurity hurts all Mainers.

Collins has yet to comment on H.R. 6707. King has said he opposes the bill on the grounds that he does not want to interfere with an agreement that the state and the tribes reached through careful negotiation in 1980.

This is a reasonable desire, except for one thing. There is no evidence that the tribes and state actually negotiated this particular federal status. After reading thousands of pages about the 1980 federal law, researchers at Suffolk University have found that this provision was added to the federal bill five days before Congress passed it into law. Wabanaki communities had no chance to weigh in on this extraordinary new provision.

King and Collins both have a chance to support Wabanaki tribes and the tribal-state negotiating process. They should correct a law that does not reflect those negotiations.

I urge them to do what is right for the tribes and the state.

Joe Hall, Auburn