Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued the final rule to create a Native Hawaiian government. The rule, which is highly disputed and raises difficult constitutional issues, includes new administrative procedures and criteria for establishing such relationships. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement:

“What the President wants, the President gets. This rule is unconstitutional and the Executive Branch is making up the rules as they go. It’s another example of this administration exerting power they were never given in the first place. Congress needs to put an end to this executive abuse by establishing a consistent and transparent framework for the recognition of Native groups.”