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Thursday, October 30, 2003

The following is the text of a floor statement made by Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), the co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. Debate was over a rule to adopt the Department of Interior's appropriations bill. The rule passed 289 to 136. October 29, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the rule because of a provision included in the Interior conference report that would limit the Federal Government's accountability to over a half million American Indian Trust beneficiaries by preventing the Department of Interior from conducting a complete historical accounting of individual Indian Trusts, as directed by a Federal court last month in Cobell versus Norton litigation.

Last year, the House voted overwhelmingly to strike a similar provision in the fiscal year 2003 Interior appropriations bill. And in July of this year, the gentleman from North Carolina (Chairman Taylor) graciously agreed to drop a similar provision from the fiscal year 2004 Interior funding bill before it was considered on the House floor.

Despite these actions, the provision in the conference report, once again, serves to delay justice to the Indian beneficiaries who have waited for over 100 years for an accounting while opening up the government to new legal claims.

The Congressional Native American Caucus opposes this provision. The chairman and ranking Democrat of the Committee on Resources, the authorizing committee, oppose this provision. As a matter of fact, just a few minutes ago, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), during the markup over in the Commi

Today on Indianz.Com:
Campbell pushes action on trust fund suit (10/30)

Conference Committee Report:
House Report. 108-330

DOI Budget Bills:
H.R.2691 | H.Rept.108-195 | S.1391 | S.Rept.108-89

Relevant Bills:
Campbell: Indian Money Account Claim Satisfaction Act of 2003 (S.1770) | Daschle: Indian Trust Payment Equity Act of 2003 (S.1540)

Congressional Native American Caucus Letter:
J.D. Hayworth/Dale Kildee (October 17, 2003)

Court Decisions:
Historical Accounting | Fixing the System | Structural Injunction

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
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

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Campbell pushes action on trust fund suit (10/30)
Battle brews in House over DOI budget bill (10/30)
Cobell rallies support for trust fund case (10/28)
DOI bill halts Indian trust fund case (10/24)
Bill targets Indian trust fund suit (10/22)
House chairman supports self-governance rider (10/14)
Self-governance tribes fear impact of reorganization (10/09)
Lamberth lays out future of Indian trust reform (09/26)
Court report finds undervaluation of Navajo lands (08/21)
Administration eyes consolidation of Indian appraisals (08/15)
Tally for private attorney fees in Cobell case rises (07/24)
Congress hacks Bush's accounting funds (7/16)
Swimmer partly right on trust fund rider (7/14)
Bush official balks at large settlement for Cobell (7/10)
On trust, lawmakers take Bush officials at face value (06/25)
Private attorneys reap benefits on Cobell case (06/24)
Norton offered settlement funds for IIM trust (6/20)
Lamberth criticizes interference with trust fund case (05/22)
Bush administration turns to Congress on trust (04/04)


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