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MONDAY, JULY 29, 2002

"Two-thirds of the House members decided on July 17 they didn’t want to make or tinker with federal Indian law on appropriations and rejected two provisions of the Interior appropriations bill. One would have changed the accounting rules to let the Interior Department off the hook in the ongoing trust funds litigation. The other would have made mischief for tribal gaming and recognition processes in the guise of another study commission.

. . .

In the current appropriations maneuvers, the top "cardinals" on Interior appropriations, Reps. Joe Skeen, R-N.M., and Norman D. Dicks, D-Wash., favored the trust funds and study language. Chairman Skeen is virtually incapacitated. His head appropriations staffer -- who wields more power than most appropriators do with an actual vote in Congress and who is not known for his Indian advocacy -- carried on the floor fight in the chairman’s name.

Dicks fights his own battles, but didn’t seem to have his heart in this one. He has much experience, both pro and con, with efforts to undermine ongoing litigation through appropriations. . ."

Get the Story:
Suzan Shown Harjo: The danger of legislating on appropriations (Indian Country Today 7/29)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://www.ncai.org/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

Related Stories:
Senate debates accounting plan (7/26)
Slonaker objects to House bill (7/26)
Trust debate centers on budget (7/19)
House clears DOI budget bill (7/18)
Rahall statement on trust fund (7/18)
House vote a victory on trust fund (7/18)
Debate rages on Interior bill (7/17)
White House approved DOI spending bill (7/17)
Objections on trust fund ignored (7/16)
House to debate DOI funding bill (7/16)
IIM project affects little in trust (7/16)
House trust fund bill opposed (7/15)
Full accounting said not 'cost effective' (7/15)
Griles slammed for ignorance (7/12)
DOI denies involvement in House bill (7/12)
Court monitor releases new report (7/11)
ABC program to focus on Indian trust fund (7/11)
Tribes express doubts on trust reform (7/11)
Norton delivers accounting plan (7/5)
Cobell kicks off Indian Country tour (7/3)
Trust fund monitor defended (7/2)
Historical accounting plan delayed (7/2)
Norton's accounting funds limited (6/28)
Griles can't explain trust standards (6/27)