Kildee Statement on Cobell Settlement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Democratic Chairman of the House Native American Caucus, spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives in favor of H.R. 4783, the Claims Resolution Act, which authorizes and approves the settlement of the 14 year long Cobell v. Salazar litigation. This legislation passed the House and now goes to the President for his signature. Congressman Kildee’s prepared statement is as follows: 

“Today I rise in strong support of H.R. 4783, the Claims Resolution Act of 2010. I want to thank Chairman Nick Rahall and Congressman Tom Cole, my fellow co-chair of the Native American Caucus, for their hard work on this legislation.

In the past, the US government mismanaged over 300,000 individual Indian trust accounts, causing unneeded hardship and strain. H.R. 4783 will go a long way towards righting this terrible wrong.

This legislation authorizes and approves the settlement of the 14 year long Cobell v. Salazar litigation. The settlement agreement provides for the distribution of $1.5 billion directly to individual Indians and for the creation of a $1.9 billion fund to purchase highly fractionated interests in trust lands. It also sets aside up to $60 million for educational scholarships for Indian children.

This win-win agreement was already passed by the senate. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 4783 to turn the page on this sad chapter of federal-Native American relations.”