Overview:
Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) has introduced a second bill seeking to restrict federal funding for state and local governments that recognize Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, after his similar 2025 proposal failed to advance.
Conservative Republican Rep. Michael Rulli, who represents Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, introduced the Italian Heroes and Heritage Act (H.R. 10791) on Oct. 9, 2026. The bill would prohibit federal funds from going to state or local governments that celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day.
The bill is similar to H.R. 5739, which Rulli introduced last year under the same title. That bill was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform but never advanced.
A strong ally of President Donald Trump, Rulli co-chairs the Congressional Italian American Caucus and helped facilitate the effort to erect a Christopher Columbus statue on White House grounds. The statue was installed on March 22, 2026.
If enacted, H.R. 10791 could put financial pressure on state and local governments that recognize Indigenous Peoples Day in place of Columbus Day. Its potential impact would depend on which federal funding streams were covered and how the restriction was implemented.
For Native communities, the proposal raises questions about tribal history, Indigenous visibility in public institutions and the authority of local governments to determine which holidays they recognize.
This year’s bill was also referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
According to 2020–2024 American Community Survey estimates, approximately 82,000 residents of Rulli’s congressional district — about 10.5% of its population — report Italian ancestry.
