NATIVE AMERICAN AMENDMENT DENIED ON
WELFARE REFORM BILL
(Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to adress the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, every member of Congress with Native
Americans in their district should vote against this bill and this
rule. Incredibly, the Republican leadership has snubbed their own
chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, the gentleman from
Alaska, DON YOUNG, and disallowed a bipartisan ammendment that both of
us ere going to offer, treating Indian Tribes as States in the new
block grant system, just like every Republican and Democratic
administration has done since the 1960's.
Mr. Speaker, without this ammendment this bill will decimate Native
American programs, violate the tribal sovereignty agreements with the
United States and will disenfranchise millions of Native Americans.
It does not surprise me that the Republican leadership would snub kids
and Native Americans, but their own guy, DON YOUNG, the very able
chairman of the Natural Resources Committee who was simply trying to
do the right thing.
# I rise in outrage in learning that the amendment concerning Native
Americans which the gentleman from Alaska and I have been working on
is not in order.#
# This marks the beginning of an era-the Republican termination
era-for our Nation's relations with tribal governments. #
# We have always maintained intergovernmental relations with Native
Americans-and this has been supported by every administration, on both
sides of the aisle, since the 1960's. #
# This is a significant departure from our belief in and support of
Indian self-determination, and affronts many statutes passed by this
body and our predecessors. #
# Our amendment would have restored set-asides to Native Americans
that HR4 destroys-it adds nothing new, would have only maintained the
independence and ability to serve tribal people that tribes currently
maintain. #
# I am outraged that the Rules Committee has denied this bipartisan,
rational, technical amendment to HR4; this is fundamentally unfair and
wrong. #
# Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is that there is no place for arrogant
procedural tactics in this Chamber, it only denies the first Americans
a voice in the legislative process. #
NATIVE AMERICAN AMENDMENT DENIED ON WELFARE REFORM BILL
*House speeches and inserts*
(CRTEXT 03/22/95 p. H3782)
[STATEMENT PRECEEDING CONGRESSMAN RICHARDSON'S STATEMENT]
# Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Chairman, I voted for the rule on HR1214 and I
support passage of this legislation. I do, however want to express my
concern with the Rules Committee failure to make in order an amendment
which would have reaffirmed our Nation's obligation to American Indian
communities. #
# A bipartisan amendment, offered by Resources Chairman DON YOUNG,
would have set aside 3 percent of appropriations for block grants to
Native American communities. This amendment was important because it
would have recognized the unique nature of the Federal Government's
relationship with Native American tribes. #
# My concern is that direct block grants to the States may adversely
affect tribes for two reasons: One, States do not have the same
obligations to tribes that the Federal Government has; and towl, some
tribes, like the Navajo Nation, cross State borders and would have to
petition more that one State for funding. The Young amendment would
have addressed this concern, and I regret that it was not made in
order. #
# Mr. Chairman, I want to assure concerned tribal leaders that,
although the Rules Committee did not make this amendment in order, our
bipartisan efforts to secure protections in HR1214 for Native
Americans will continue.#
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If I hear any more on this will post same. Be Well, John Berry