Johnson Opposed to Cuts to Indian Program Funds
Johnson Opposed to Cuts to Indian Program Funds
U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today expressed his opposition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs' decision to pay attorney fees and expenses related to the Cobell v. Norton case with funds that were intended for tribal programs. Johnson, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, wrote to Acting Assistant Secretary James Cason criticizing the Department's solution to the situation.
Tribal leaders received a letter from Assistant Secretary Cason last week, informing them that tribal program funds were being cut across the board to pay attorney fees awarded in the Cobell case. Cobell v. Norton is a class action lawsuit alleging federal government mismanagement of accounts held in trust for individual Indians. The U.S. District Court has issued an order requiring the immediate payment of over $7 million in attorney fees.
"The funds that were cut serve the nation's poorest peoples and we should do everything that we can to maintain and increase program funding for Indian Country, not cut funding," Johnson said in the letter. "There are clearly better alternatives than cutting program funding, and I am willing to pursue solutions at the legislative level that do not involve politicizing the Cobell litigation."
"I understand the Court's Order disturbed funding expectations; however, the inflammatory letter sent was an entirely unnecessary and inappropriate attempt to undermine the relationship between tribes and tribal members involved in the Cobell v. Norton case. It is my sincere hope that the Department revisits this decision and finds an adequate solution that fulfills its obligations to the first Americans," Johnson wrote.
Johnson is supportive of resolving the long-standing case and crafting trust reform that meets the federal government's obligations to Native Americans. The Cobell case is particularly important to tribes in South Dakota because the state is home to a significant percentage of Individual Indian Money (IIM) account holders and trust assets.
http://johnson.senate.gov/~johnson/releases/200602/2006208B42.html