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Cobell calls trust reform bill a win for Interior
Friday, July 22, 2005

Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the trust fund lawsuit, said the trust reform bill introduced by Sens. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) is a victory for the Interior Department.

Cobell said the bill erases the victories that the plaintiffs won in court. A key provision of the settlement portion requires Interior to pay Indian account holders only between January 1980 and December 2005.

But Cobell noted that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered an accounting of "all funds" within the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust. The D.C. Circuit, in February 2001, specifically stated that Interior must perform a "complete historical accounting of trust fund assets."

Cobell was joined by Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians, and Jim Gray, the chairman of the Inter-Tribal Trust Fund Monitoring Association, in expressing reservations about the bill. They issued a statement [Link] noting that McCain called on Indian Country to develop consensus on settling Cobell and reforming the trust but that most of the principles they developed aren't included in the bill.

Cobell, Hall and possibly Gray are expected to testify on Tuesday, July 26, at a hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Get the Story:
Indian trust settlement bill criticized (The Rapid City Journal 7/22)

Senate Documents:
John McCain Statement | Byron Dorgan Statement | Full Text of Bill as Introduced

Relevant Documents:
Trust Reform and Cobell Settlement Workgroup Principles for Legislation (June 2005)

Related Story:
Federal official: Native trust fund accounts vulnerable (The Lincoln Journal Star 7/21)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
Intertribal Trust Fund Monitoring Association - http://www.itmatrustfunds.org

Related Stories:
McCain and Dorgan introduce trust reform legislation (7/21)
Opinion: Keep open mind on Cobell settlement (7/19)
McCain plans hearing on Cobell settlement, reform (7/14)
Judge blasts Interior on handling of trust (7/13)
Elouise Cobell: Principles put trust back into trust fund (07/07)
Cobell and Cason to appear on C-SPAN program (7/6)
Cobell calls for settlement of trust fund lawsuit (7/5)
Editorial: Resolution of trust fund debacle needed (7/5)
Editorial: Abramoff scandal can't compare to trust (6/30)
Opinion: Downfall of Indians traced to Army, BIA (6/28)
Pombo supports settlement of Cobell trust fund case (6/27)
Harjo: Tribes lobby to fleece their own people (6/24)
Editorial: Congress should settle trust fund (6/24)
Editorial: Trust fund a 'national embarassment' (6/22)
Indian Country united on trust reform solutions (6/21)
Trust workgroup to outline Cobell settlement goals (6/17)
Echohawk optimistic on settlement of Cobell case (06/03)
Final trust reform meeting held in North Dakota (6/3)
UTTC hosts meeting on trust reform legislation (6/1)
House panel acts to restore Bush budget cuts (05/05)
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Bush administration won't give up fight on Cobell (03/18)
McCain weighs GAO probe of Indian trust debacle (03/10)
McCain lays out Indian agenda for 109th Congress (3/7)
Norton won't testify on trust fund retaliation (2/28)
Bush official won't accept claims of trust mismanagement (02/17)
Appeals court won't hold back Lamberth on trust reform (12/13)
Appeals court supports Lamberth's authority on IT (12/06)
Lamberth critical of Norton's 'bad faith' on trust fund (10/25)
Interior denies attempt to halt trust fund payments (10/05)
Bush administration challenges trust fund ruling (09/16)
Appeals court takes on Cobell trust fund case (9/15)
Lamberth exchanges harsh words with Cobell critic (08/02)
Bush administration calls for end to Cobell case (04/09)
Cobell trust fund suit mediators announced (4/6)
DOI's Internet connection shut down for third time (03/16)
Lamberth defends special master against attack (03/16)
Anderson praises Cobell suit in NCAI speech (2/25)
Tribes still frustrated on trust reform (11/20)
Bush officials blasted by tribal leaders (11/19)
Cobell plaintiffs disputing trust fund rider (11/17)
Daschle criticizes 'shameful' rider in DOI budget bill (11/04)
Norton welcomes time-out in Cobell trust fund case (11/4)
Bush official balks at large settlement for Cobell (7/10)

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