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MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2002

Rep. Joe Skeen (R-N.M.), the chairman of the House subcommittee which oversees funding for the Department of Interior, is retiring, he announced on Friday.

Skeen, 74, gave no official reason in a statement he issued. Friends said his health played a major factor -- he has Parkinson's disease.

The retirement, which will come at the end of the year, leaves Democrats hungry to claim a seat that would inch them towards a majority in the Republican-controlled House. Just six seats are needed.

For the past two fiscal years, Skeen's committee and other appropriators have reiterated that Congress will not fund an historical accounting of the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust unless the Interior can prove it will achieve success. This past fall, department officials approached the committee with an aim to get the money, using a report prepared by an accounting firm, Ernst & Young, for the basis.

The report contains private financial data and is protected by a court order. Norton's attorneys, however, have asked a federal court to unseal the document.

The chairman of the House committee that oversees Indian issues, Rep. Jim Hansen (R-Utah), is also retiring.

Get the Story:
Skeen Retiring at Year's End (The Albuquerque Journal 1/12)
2nd District Up for Grabs (The Albuquerque Journal 1/12)
Rep. Skeen to Retire After 22 Years (The Washington Post 1/12)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Joe Skeen - http://www.house.gov/skeen

Related Stories:
Action threatened against Interior on trust funds (6/25)