Critics of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who just won reelection to a second term, and appears to be looking at presidential run in 2020, is drawing criticism for her strong support of putting land into trust for a tribe that would allow it to be a $1 billion casino in Taunton.
One critic, Jazz Shaw, writing in Hot Air, wonders why the senator, who has a history of opposing gaming, is so enthusiastic about a bill in both chambers of Congress that would put more than 130 acres into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe after the Department of the Interior withdrew its earlier ruling that put the land into trust.
The tribe is getting massive support from much of Indian Country, which marched in Washington D.C. last week to the U.S. Capitol, demanding action by Congress. Shaw writes, “It’s a process which the Interior Department has thus far been unable to accommodate due to the way the laws are written.” The tribe lost a federal lawsuit brought by some residents of Taunton who oppose a casino there.
Shaw writes, “Warren is more than a peculiar water bearer for the tribe in this matter. She has a lengthy history of opposing expanded gambling and casino operations in her own state. She’s also been active in trying to provide more help for those affected by gambling addiction.” Shaw concludes, “It just smells fishy.”
