Rep. Rahall statement on H.R.4893
Monday, September 18, 2006
Mr. RAHALL. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Michigan, a very valued member of our Resources Committee, for yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I share the concerns of some on my side of the aisle that this amendment should have been brought to the floor under a rule so that amendments could be offered by interested Members.
Indeed, during the Resources Committee's deliberations on this measure, several members issued concerns, and both the chairman and myself assured them that they would be considered as the process moved forward. Yet the Republican leadership chose to schedule this bill as a suspension, and as such amendments are not made in order.
With that said, the bill before the body today is the product of a negotiation which took place between Chairman Pombo and myself as the ranking member on the Resources Committee.
The original introduced version bill went too far in my opinion in interfering with tribal sovereignty. As a result of our negotiations, the version reported by the committee, which is pending before us, has a great deal more respect for tribal sovereignty while still achieving the goal of reining in off-reservation casino shopping.
Let me be very clear on this point. The letter the National Congress of American Indians has sent in opposition to this bill must be in reference to the original introduced version, not what is before us today. That letter alleges that a tribe would have to seek approval of a local government before gaming could commence. It alleges the bill would subordinate tribes to local governments. This is just plain false.
What the bill does require is that a tribe seeks to establish an agreement with a local community concerning the costs of mitigating the impact from public services that could arise from a new casino. That is nothing less and nothing more than good business practice. It is what most tribes do today.
On the broader issue, there should be no doubt that this legislation is necessary. According to United South and Eastern Tribes, which represents 24 federally recognized tribes in the east, this bill is critical on tracking down reservation-shopping abuses which are often funded by shadowy developers.
The president of the organization, Keller George, in a letter to Congress states: ``This kind of reservation shopping runs counter to the intent of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and well-established Indian policies.'' He urges the favorable approval of the pending legislation.
So while I remain concerned about the process, I am in support of the bill. I urge Members to vote in favor of it
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