Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) is trying to convince fellow Republicans to support tribal jurisdiction provisions in the Violence Against Women Act.

The Senate passed S.47, which recognizes tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians who commit domestic violence offenses on reservations. Some Republicans in the House say the provisions are unconstitutional but Cole doesn't buy that argument.

"We're all Americans. We all have the same constitutional rights," Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, told The Tulsa World.

Congress has recognized tribal criminal jurisdiction over all Indians, a provision that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in US v. Lara.

Get the Story:
Bill would close domestic abuse loophole on tribal lands (The Tulsa World 2/18)

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