Analyses / Whip Count Analysis / 119 · HR 165 Whip Count Analysis

119-HR-165 DC Insider Whip Count Analysis

119 · HR 165 Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act

landscape Native Americans
Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to complete all actions necessary to place approximately 40 acres of land in Oglala Lakota County,...

H.R. 165 cleared the House 416-0 under suspension and passed the Senate by unanimous consent; it was presented to the President on December 18, 2025. With visible backing from South Dakota’s delegation and Senate Indian Affairs leadership, no recorded opposition, and minimal policy or budget friction, enactment before the 10-day (Sundays excepted) window closes around December 30 is highly likely; absent a signature, it would become law unless a pocket veto is attempted during an adjournment that prevents return. Confidence: high. [1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[2]Congressional Record (LOC) — Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massa…[3]Congress.gov — H.R.165 – Congress.gov overview (presented to President)[4]U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs — Indian Affairs Committee: Murkowski (…[5]Congress.gov / Constitution Annotated — U.S. Constitution Annotated – Article I…

Analyzed as
DC Insider
Published
19 Dec 2025
Updated
19 Dec 2025
Tags
whip-count · Indian Affairs · lands
Unvetted
01 · Section

Breakdown: expected support/opposition by party and caucus

Recorded votes show overwhelming bipartisan support; no organized caucus opposition surfaced during floor consideration in either chamber. [1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[2]Congressional Record (LOC) — Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massa…

  • House (final passage under suspension, 2/3 required): 416-0 (R: 216-0; D: 200-0; 17 NV). Procedure signals leadership viewed the bill as noncontroversial. [1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[6]Congressional Research Service (Congress.gov) — CRS In Focus: Suspension of the…
  • Senate: Passed without amendment by unanimous consent on December 11, 2025 (no recorded objections). [2]Congressional Record (LOC) — Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massa…[7]U.S. Senate — The Senate in Session – Unanimous Consent explanation
  • Committee posture: Senate Indian Affairs reported the bill favorably without amendment (S. Rept. 119-72). No minority views filed; report describes limited policy scope (restricted-fee status; no gaming; memorial-only use). [8]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacre…
  • Status: Enrolled and presented to the President on December 18, 2025. [3]Congress.gov — H.R.165 – Congress.gov overview (presented to President)
  • Outside stakeholders: Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe publicly supportive; coverage and press material reflect coordinated tribal backing. [9]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — Johnson announces Wounded Knee Act – tribal…[10]Web search · turn 4 #2
House YEAs
416
House NAYs
0
Senate recorded opposition
0objections
Presented to President
2025-12-18
10-day action window (Sundays excepted)
2025-12-30 approx.
02 · Section

Key legislators (swing/pivotal) and evidence

Given unanimity, the pivotal actors were sponsors and gatekeepers who controlled agenda access rather than ideological swing votes.

  • Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), sponsor and coalition hub; worked with Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux leadership; public statements emphasized memorial-only use and non-gaming covenants. [11]Web search · turn 0 #0[10]Web search · turn 4 #2
  • Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) led the Senate push (S.105 companion); reintroduced after prior UC blockade in 2024; framed as preservation-only. Their support aligned the Senate GOP leadership with the bill. [12]Office of Sen. Mike Rounds — Rounds & Thune reintroduce Wounded Knee bill – pre…[13]Web search · turn 9 #6
  • Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), as Senate Indian Affairs Chair, advanced the bill cleanly through markup and reported it without amendment, lowering floor risk. [8]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacre…
  • House floor control: Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), as Natural Resources Chair, managed the suspension motion—key to expediting passage with no amendments. [14]Web search · turn 3 #5[15]House Committee on Natural Resources — Chairman Bruce Westerman – House Natural…
  • Stakeholder validators: Statements reported by South Dakota Public Broadcasting from tribal leaders Ryman LeBeau and Frank Star Comes Out underscored unified tribal support, blunting any potential ideological holdouts. [9]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — Johnson announces Wounded Knee Act – tribal…
03 · Section

Leadership influence and procedural dynamics

Leadership alignment and use of fast-track procedures effectively eliminated amendment risk and time pressure.

  • House GOP leadership allowed consideration under suspension (40 minutes debate; 2/3 threshold; no floor amendments), a standard route for consensus measures. Result: 416-0. [6]Congressional Research Service (Congress.gov) — CRS In Focus: Suspension of the…[1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune presided over a chamber where the measure moved by unanimous consent—no cloture, no amendment tree—reflecting cross-party comfort with the narrow scope. [16]Web search · turn 10 #0[7]U.S. Senate — The Senate in Session – Unanimous Consent explanation
  • Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski, Chair; Schatz, Vice Chair) provided bipartisan cover; committee materials emphasize restricted-fee status, memorial use, and gaming prohibition—limiting policy controversy. [4]U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs — Indian Affairs Committee: Murkowski (…[8]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacre…
  • Inter-chamber sequencing: House passage (Jan 22, 2025) established bipartisan precedent; Senate held the bill until October report and then cleared it by UC on Dec 11, 2025; enrollment followed and presentment occurred Dec 18, 2025. [1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[8]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacre…[2]Congressional Record (LOC) — Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massa…[3]Congress.gov — H.R.165 – Congress.gov overview (presented to President)
  • Executive context: No public veto threat; with GOP control of both chambers and South Dakota delegation leadership buy-in, the White House has little incentive to expend capital opposing a tribally backed, non-spending memorial bill. (Inference from recorded votes and leadership support patterns.) [1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[16]Web search · turn 10 #0
04 · Section

Assessment: likelihood of enactment

Bottom line from a whip perspective: there is no organized opposition and the procedural runway is clear.

  • Vote history indicates overwhelming bipartisan support (House 416-0; Senate by UC). [1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[2]Congressional Record (LOC) — Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massa…
  • Bill was presented to the President on December 18, 2025; under Article I, Section 7, it becomes law if signed or—absent a return veto—after 10 days excluding Sundays, unless an adjournment prevents return (pocket veto). On current calendars, a straightforward signature or lapse into law is most likely. [3]Congress.gov — H.R.165 – Congress.gov overview (presented to President)[5]Congress.gov / Constitution Annotated — U.S. Constitution Annotated – Article I…
  • Interest alignment: Tribal governments support; South Dakota delegation and Senate Indian Affairs leadership aligned; zero fiscal score controversy evident in committee materials. [9]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — Johnson announces Wounded Knee Act – tribal…[8]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacre…
05 · Section

Sourcing

Primary source documents and official outlets underpin all vote counts, procedural descriptions, and leadership roles.

  • Congress.gov bill page, actions, and enrolled text for H.R. 165; Clerk/Congress.gov roll call; Congressional Record citations for Senate passage. [3]Congress.gov — H.R.165 – Congress.gov overview (presented to President)[1]Congress.gov — House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session)[2]Congressional Record (LOC) — Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massa…
  • Senate Indian Affairs report (S. Rept. 119-72) and committee leadership releases (Murkowski Chair; Schatz Vice Chair). [8]GovInfo (GPO) — Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacre…[4]U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs — Indian Affairs Committee: Murkowski (…
  • Leadership verification: Thune Majority Leader (official releases); House Natural Resources Chair Westerman (committee page). [16]Web search · turn 10 #0[15]House Committee on Natural Resources — Chairman Bruce Westerman – House Natural…
  • Stakeholder positions: SDPB coverage and sponsor press highlighting Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe support. [9]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — Johnson announces Wounded Knee Act – tribal…[10]Web search · turn 4 #2
  • Procedural references: CRS products on suspension of the rules and Constitution Annotated on the 10-day presentment rule. [6]Congressional Research Service (Congress.gov) — CRS In Focus: Suspension of the…[5]Congress.gov / Constitution Annotated — U.S. Constitution Annotated – Article I…
Sources cited
  1. [1] House Roll Call Vote 22 (119th Congress, 1st Session) Congress.gov
  2. [2] Congressional Record (Senate) – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act (S8685) Congressional Record (LOC)
  3. [3] H.R.165 – Congress.gov overview (presented to President) Congress.gov
  4. [4] Indian Affairs Committee: Murkowski (Chair) & Schatz (Vice Chair) – Oversight Hearing Release U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
  5. [5] U.S. Constitution Annotated – Article I, Section 7 (presentment/veto) Congress.gov / Constitution Annotated
  6. [6] CRS In Focus: Suspension of the Rules in the House – principal features Congressional Research Service (Congress.gov)
  7. [7] The Senate in Session – Unanimous Consent explanation U.S. Senate
  8. [8] Senate Report 119-72 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act GovInfo (GPO)
  9. [9] Johnson announces Wounded Knee Act – tribal support quotes South Dakota Public Broadcasting
  10. [10] Web search · turn 4 #2
  11. [11] Web search · turn 0 #0
  12. [12] Rounds & Thune reintroduce Wounded Knee bill – press release Office of Sen. Mike Rounds
  13. [13] Web search · turn 9 #6
  14. [14] Web search · turn 3 #5
  15. [15] Chairman Bruce Westerman – House Natural Resources House Committee on Natural Resources
  16. [16] Web search · turn 10 #0

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