FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  – A North Carolina congressman says a bill to grant federal recognition to the Lumbee Indian tribe is heading toward a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Fayetteville Observer reported Thursday that Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-NC, said in a statement that the recognition bill he sponsored could be voted on within 30 days.

With recognition, the tribe would received millions of dollars for housing, education, health care and economic development.

Lumbees were partially recognized by the federal government in 1956, but the government denied the tribe benefits given to other tribes. Language in the bill also prohibited the tribe from seeking recognition through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.