U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill plans to introduce legislation this week that would eliminate the advantage tapped by Alaska Native corporations in obtaining federal contracts worth billions of dollars.
The Missouri Democrat will file the bill Wednesday or Thursday, her spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Among other changes, the bill would strip the corporations of contracts with no monetary caps under the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program, which is designed to help small disadvantaged firms.
"Sen. McCaskill believes that the federal government does have a role in helping Native people," spokeswoman Maria Speiser said. "But we've seen that a very small portion of these companies' profits are reaching Native Alaskans, so from her perspective it's time to acknowledge the fact that the program, it's not effective for either the Native Alaskans or taxpayers."
The corporations would still be able to participate in the SBA program.
However, they would no longer enjoy the unprecedented benefits ushered through Congress two decades ago by then-Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.