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In a morning tweet, Trump said that "Republicans should not vote for H.R. 312, a special interest casino Bill, backed by Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren. It is unfair and does not treat Native Americans in the same way! "
Messages left at the Warren Senate Office and the presidential campaign were not immediately returned. The Massachusetts Democrat had already co-sponsored a Senate version of the proposal.
After Trump's tweet, the bill was removed from the house. It was to be considered under an expedited provision requiring a two-thirds majority to be passed, which means it would need Republican support.
Representative William Keating, a Massachusetts Democrat who sponsored the bill, suggested that Trump's opposition to the proposal was rooted in his ties to a lobbyist from a company that owns two casinos in Rhode Island.
Associated Press reported that a lobbying company co-founded by Matt Schlapp, a prominent Trump supporter and president of the Union of American Conservatives, represents Twin River Management Group, owner of the Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln, Delaware and Tiverton Casino Hotel in Tiverton, RI. A federal lobbying report provided to the Globe confirms that Schlapp received $ 30,000 from Twin River for its lobbying activities in the first quarter of this year.
Schlapp is the husband of the director of strategic communication of the White House, Mercedes Schlapp.
Keating said Trump "had signed an identical bill last year" about a tribe in Virginia.
"So why tweet against a bill recognizing the tribe of the first Thanksgiving?" Asked Keating on Twitter. "Because of its well-documented alliance with the RI casino lobbyist. A weak attempt to hide a corrupt influence in a racist tweet. "
Twin River said in a statement that the law "is in conflict with the decisions of the federal courts and the US Department of the Interior, as well as with the precedents established by the US Supreme Court. United".
"It is clear that the legislation seems to be an effort to bypass the courts and the US Department of the Interior, who are competent in the matter," said the company.
In a telephone interview, Keating said he was confident that the bill would be passed "sooner rather than later".
"This will follow the usual course of other bipartite bills," he said.
He said he found Trump's opposition "unsettling", saying the problem "affects thousands of individuals and one tribe who has suffered an injustice after the other."
"As a conference, we were fortunate to be on the right side of history," he said.
That the proposal "is hijacked by something as despicable as a lobbying" is disappointing, he said.
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe could not be contacted immediately for comment.
Earlier this month, the tribe applauded the vote of a House committee to move the bill forward. Tribal President Cedric Cromwell said the action provided "tremendous momentum for my people".
Last year, Tara Sweeney, deputy secretary of the Indian Affairs Bureau, said the tribe was not "under federal jurisdiction" at the time of a landmark 1934 law. It therefore does not meet the requirement of a federal definition of the term. "Indian."
As a result of this decision, the future of the First Light Resort and Casino continued to remain in limbo after years of stops and departures. Malaysian gaming group Genting, the casino's backer, recorded a loss of more than $ 400 million.
The tribe, which has approximately 2,700 members, was previously recognized by the federal government in 2007 and asked the federal government to acquire approximately 320 acres of land in Mashpee and Taunton in trust for its benefit. If the tribe can not keep control of these lands, they will not be able to build the casino.
The land is not far from where the Wampanoag hailed the pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony and then joined them on the first Thanksgiving.
According to the tribe, the United States has not "destroyed" an Indian reserve for more than 50 years.
"The threat to the tribal reserve has caused tremendous hardship to the tribe and its members, has threatened its funding, has forced it to borrow cruelly and lorries. forced to close programs and lay off employees, "said the tribe in a statement released earlier month.
Globe correspondent Jeremy C. Fox and Globe staff member Jon Chesto contributed to the report. The Associated Press documents were used in this report.
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