The Navajo Nation Council is in special session to once again try and approve a Fund for the $600M CARES Act relief aid. The establishment of a Fund is the first step to begin the creation of a Spending Plan, which was where the proposals for funding for Navajo govt three branches and enterprises, Navajo small businesses; Non-government organizations, such as colleges, non-profits, nursing homes would be located.
President Nez used the presidential line item veto on Navajo Emergency $600M OVID-19 Expenditure Fund approved by the Council several weeks ago. The Navajo Justice Department and Council’s legal office agreed that Nez misused the presidential line item veto by line item vetoing language, instead of line item financial budgets.
But for some reasons 6 Council Delegates, and remember every Navajo govt elected officials takes an oath to uphold Navajo laws, decided not to uphold Navajo law and voted against the Council override of Nez’s illegal line item veto, which resulted in no Override because 16 Yes votes are legally needed. The Council Override Vote was 14 in favor, 6 opposed. SMH
And so now portions of the Fund that were not illegally line item vetoed are still law. But Navajo executive branch divisions, such as Social Services, Health, Community Development, etc., which are under Nez & Lizer, are not submitting their budgets to the Council, even though the Council has repeatedly requested those budgets. Social services is where Burial Assistance and Domestic Violence Shelters are located. Health is where COVID-19 Command Center is. Community Development is where the 110 chapters are.
By the way, when Nez used his line item veto, he had some of the 6 Council Delegates sponsor his Fund proposal as legislation to the Council. And so Nez’s used of the presidential line item power, not in the best interest of the Navajo people, but in the interest of Nez & Lizer, because they had their own plan to spend the $600M. Their $600M plan is in Legislation 0116-20, which also authorizes Nez & Lizer to hand-pick a task force of 12 “experts” to create The Plan to Spend the $600M.
Nez & Lizer in their -0116-20 legislation also did not provide any of the $600M to the Judicial Branch and 110 chapters. 0116-20 is on the Council agenda.
And I’m still waiting for a Nez-Lizer Writen Report on Donations, including about $5 million in money donations, for the Navajo people that Nez & Lizer received on behalf of the Navajo people and are distributing themselves. What Nez & Lizer are distributing was not bought by them or donated by them. They are giving to the People what belongs to the People. And so why aren’t letting the Navajo people know in written detail what was donated to them, how much, by whom, how it was decided to distribute the donations, and where the donations went.
The US Treasury has set strict guidelines for the Navajo Nation to spend the $600 million and if any of the $600M is not spent according to those federal Treasury guidelines, the Navajo Nation would have to pay back whatever money was not spent according to Treasury regulations.
If Nez & Lizer cannot provide a simple written report on Donations, how can they be Accountable & Transparent about how their 12 Experts will be Spending the $600M.
CALL IN NUMBER 408-418-9388, ACCESS CODE 294672400# And then Hit # after voice prompt
APPROVED AGENDA OF THE 24th NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL Window Rock, Navajo Nation (AZ) SPECIAL SESSION VIA TELECONFERENCE June 19, 2020 – 10:00 AM
PRESIDING: Honorable Seth Damon, Speaker, 24th Navajo Nation Council
- CALL MEETING TO ORDER; ROLL CALL; INVOCATION
- RECOGNIZE GUESTS AND VISITING OFFICIALS
- REVIEW AND ADOPT THE AGENDA
(m) Honorable Kee Allen Begay Jr. (s) Honorable Eugene Tso (v) 19 – 0 - REPORTS: None
- OLD BUSINESS: None
- NEW BUSINESS:
A. LEGISLATION 0130-20: An Action Relating to Naabik’íyáti’ and Navajo Nation Council; Overriding the Navajo Nation President’s Veto of Navajo Nation Council Resolution CMY-44-20 (2/3) SPONSOR: Honorable Daniel E. Tso
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Seth Damon
(m) (s) (v)
B. LEGISLATION 0132-20: An Action elating to Health Education and Human Services, Budget and Finance and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and the Navajo Nation Council; Approving and Adopting the Navajo Nation CARES Fund Expenditure Plans for Special Duty Pay, Personal Protective Equipment and Facility Safety Assurance (2/3)
SPONSOR: Honorable Seth Damon
(m) (s) (v)
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C. LEGISLATION 0116-20: An Action Relating to Budget and Finance and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and the Navajo Nation Council; Establishing the Navajo Nation CARES Fund to be Comprised of the Share of the Coronavirus Relief Fund Received from the United States Pursuant to the Federal CARES Act; Authorizing the President of the Navajo Nation to Establish an Expenditure Plan(s) in Accordance with the Federal CARES Act and Other Laws; Authorizing the Formation of the Dikos Ntsaaígíí-19 Relief Fund Work Group; Providing for Audit of the Fund and Reporting to the Federal Government SPONSOR: Honorable Edmund Yazzie
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Kee Allen Begay, Jr.
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Paul Begay
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Herman M. Daniels, Jr.
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Pernell Halona
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Jamie Henio
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Rickie Nez
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Edison J. Wauneka
(m) (s) (v)
D. LEGISLATION 0058-20: An Act Relating to Law and Order, Resources and Development, Budget and Finance, Naabik’íyáti and Navajo Nation Council; Amending Vote Provisions of 24 N.N.C. § 605 (B), Vote Requirement for Enactment of Sales Tax Ordinance by Local Governance-Certified Chapter SPONSOR: Honorable Jamie Henio
(m) (s) (v)
E. LEGISLATION 0123-20: An Action relating to Naabik’íyáti’ and the Navajo Nation Council; Cancelling the Primary Election for the 2020 Chapter Election; Setting One Chapter Election Date for November 3, 2020; Waiving 11 N.N.C. §§ 3(C) and 41
SPONSOR: Honorable Edison J. Wauneka
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Pernell Halona
(m) (s) (v)
F. CONSENT AGENDA:
LEGISLATION 0286-19: An Act Relating to Law and Order, Health, Education and Human Services, Naabik’íyáti’ Committee and the Navajo Nation Council; Amending Legislation CO-64-17 “Declaring the Second Friday in May to be Known as ‘Navajo Police Officer Day’ within the Navajo Nation SPONSOR: Honorable Otto Tso
LEGISLATION 0119-20: An Action Relating to the Resources and Development Committee, the Health, Education and Human Services Committee, the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee and the Navajo Nation Council; Cancelling the Navajo Nation Fair, the Fourth of July Celebration, the Northern Navajo Nation Fair, and all the Other Fairs, Rodeos and Ropings held on the Navajo Nation During 2020 SPONSOR: Honorable Eugenia Charles-Newton
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Pernell Halona
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Jamie Henio
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Daniel E. Tso
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Otto Tso
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Edison J. Wauneka
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Jimmy Yellowhair
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(m) (s) (v) - CLOSE OF SESSION; ANNOUNCEMENTS; ADJOURNMENT
