33 Facts About James Abourezk

James George Abourezk was an American attorney and politician from South Dakota.

In 1980, Abourezk founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee with the goal of counteracting anti-Arab racism in the country.

James Abourezk represented South Dakota in the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1973 and in the United States Senate from 1973 to 1979.

James Abourezk was the author of the Indian Child Welfare Act, which was passed by the United States Congress in 1978 to help preserve the families and culture of Native Americans.

James George Abourezk was born in Wood, South Dakota, to a family of Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christians.

Between 1948 and 1952, James Abourezk served in the United States Navy before and during the Korean War.

James Abourezk earned a degree in civil engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1961, and worked as a civil engineer in California, before returning to South Dakota to work on the Minuteman silos being built as part of the new 44th Strategic Missile Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base.

James Abourezk began a legal practice in Rapid City, South Dakota, and joined the Democratic Party.

James Abourezk ran in 1968 for Attorney General of South Dakota but was defeated by Gordon Mydland.

In 1972, James Abourezk was elected to the US Senate, where he served from 1973 to 1979, after which he chose not to seek a second term.

James Abourezk was the first chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

James Abourezk authored and passed the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, which provided Indian tribes with greater autonomy.

James Abourezk introduced legislation that resulted in the banning of overseas police assistance in 1974, and the closure of the OPS in 1975.

In 1973, James Abourezk was invited by the Lebanese embassy to visit Beirut.

In 1976, James Abourezk voted against the rest of the Senate on a measure to stop foreign aid to countries harboring international terrorists, arguing that there was no provision for terrorist acts committed by the Israeli military.

The summer after the occupation, James Abourezk introduced the American Indian Policy Review Commission Act, which created the eleven-member commission, and served as its chairman until its landmark report was published in 1977.

James Abourezk took the gavel as chairman of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs from its creation in 1977 to 1979, when he left the Senate.

In 1976, James Abourezk ordered the General Accounting Office carry out an investigation after doctor and lawyer Connie Redbird Pinkerman-Uri published a report suggesting that up to a quarter of Native American women had been involuntarily sterilised.

James Abourezk was an early champion of more direct democracy through a National initiative process, similar to the state initiative process adopted by South Dakota in 1898.

James Abourezk's efforts received national media coverage, and Abourezk chaired hearings and testified that the proposal was based on "belief in the wisdom of the American people".

James Abourezk was succeeded in office by Republican Larry Pressler, with whom he had a long-running political feud.

James Abourezk defended the Islamic Republic in lawsuits seeking payment for contracts entered into by the former Shah's government, and sought to recoup Iranian assets that were allegedly taken by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife.

Senator James Abourezk was outraged by the 1967 USS Liberty incident and openly inquired about the circumstances of the attack:.

In 1980, James Abourezk founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a grassroots civil rights organization.

James Abourezk was later joined by Jane Fonda and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz as plaintiffs, and settled the lawsuit with the Internet site in 2005.

In 2007, James Abourezk gave an interview to the Hezbollah funded news channel Al-Manar.

James Abourezk continued to be active in supporting tribal sovereignty and culture.

James Abourezk considered this his signature legislation and the new rules instrumental in protecting Native American children and preserving tribal families.

James Abourezk noted that the late Senator Barry Goldwater, his friend and colleague, had voted for the legislation in 1977 and had often consulted with him in tribal matters.

James Abourezk died at home in Sioux Falls on February 24,2023, on his 92nd birthday.

James Abourezk's funeral was held on Sunday, May 28,2023, at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science in downtown Sioux Falls.

James Abourezk subsequently married and divorced Margaret Bethea, before marrying Sanaa Dieb in 1991, with the couple remaining together until his death.

James Abourezk lived in South Dakota for most of his life.