In what some are calling a “landmark” decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a decades-old law that prioritizes the placement of Native American children with Native families or tribes in child custody proceedings.

“The law was passed in 1978 to protect tribal sovereignty after Congress documented the alarmingly high number of children with Native American ancestry being placed with non-Native families or institutions in state child welfare and private adoption proceedings. The 7-2 decision backs the law passed in the wake of decades of hostility on the part of the federal government when it comes to child custody issues and the traditional values of Indian tribes,” CNN reported.

In her majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett argued that Congress did not exceed its authority when it enacted the law.

“In a long line of cases we have characterized Congress’ power to legislate with respect to the Indian tribes as plenary and exclusive. Congress’s power to legislate with respect to Indians is well-established and broad,” Barrett wrote.

“The case pitted the interest of Native American tribes, who said their existence as sovereign nations was on the line, against non-Native couples seeking to foster or adopt children with Native ancestry. The opinion, which is a defeat for the couples who challenged the law, upheld a lower court’s ruling that the law is consistent with Congress’ authority. The Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted as a response to serious harms caused by widespread child welfare practices that resulted in the separation of Indian families, and adoption or foster placement in non-Indian homes,” CNN reported.

Recently, the Supreme Court made headlines for another case.

As a result of Thursday’s monumental Supreme Court decision regarding congressional district maps, House Democrats are in a much stronger position to either reduce their already narrow minority next year or retake control of the chamber in 2024.

In Allen v. Milligan, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Alabama’s initial congressional map following the 2020 Census violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered a redistricting. CNN reported that the court ordered the map to include “an additional black majority district to account for the state’s 27% black population.”

According to the Daily Caller, the Cook Political Report has updated five House seat contests.

The new rating changes the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts of Alabama, which include the cities of Mobile and portions of the state capital Montgomery, from “Solid R” to “Toss Up.” According to the ruling, the boundaries of the newly-drawn districts have not yet been ratified, but the new ratings indicate that Democrats may gain seats in the newly-drawn districts, whose boundaries have undergone significant changes from their previous Republican leanings.

Republicans hold 222 of the 435 voting seats in the House, while Democrats hold 212.

In 2024, Democrats would regain control of the House if they were to win all five of the elections that just shifted in their favor.

There is still a long way to go before the election next year, but the Republican party is unnerved by the latest developments.

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

“For now, we are making five House race rating changes,” the Cook Political Report noted on Twitter. CONTINUE READING…