Rehberg Urges Congressional Action To Authorize Cobell Settlement

Press Release

Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Natural Resources urging action on the settlement reached in the case of Cobell v. Salazar.

"We've acknowledged the injustice and agreed to make appropriate restitution," said Rehberg. "As is too often the case, justice delayed can be justice denied. Hearings should be held and the settlement's provisions debated. But before this can happen, a bill needs to be introduced, and this is long past due."

Last December, the government and plaintiffs reached a $3.4 billion settlement in Cobell v. Salazar. The settlement requires congressional approval and the original terms gave lawmakers until December 31, 2009 to finish the necessary legislation. That deadline has been extended three times and is now set for May 31, 2010.

"Tribal members have waited long enough," wrote Rehberg in his letter. "It took more than three months after the settlement was announced for the Committee to hold a public hearing on this matter. For nearly five months, there has been no legislative text before either body of Congress. This legislation needs to be moved in the light of day, in an open and transparent manner."

LETTER:

Dear Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Hastings:

As Montana's Congressman, I'm writing to urge your action on an important issue to Native Americans in Montana and across America. On December 7th of last year, I was happy to hear news of a settlement in the case of Cobell v. Salazar. This settlement has been years in the making, and it's good to know that a final resolution is around the corner.

Despite this good news, I'm concerned with the progress Congress has made in moving a bill forward to approve the settlement. The original deadline, December 31st, passed long ago. It was then extended to February 28th. After failing to pass a bill before the second deadline, a new expiration date of April 16th was set and later extended to May 31st. Meanwhile, account holders are left shaking their heads and confused about when a bill will be introduced--let alone pass.

Tribal members have waited long enough. It took more than three months after the settlement was announced for the Committee to hold a public hearing on this matter. For nearly five months, there has been no legislative text before either body of Congress. This legislation needs to be moved in the light of day, in an open and transparent manner.

I'm not asking the Committee and Congress to consider such legislation in a manner that hastily ignores the important implications of this settlement. Hearings should be held and the settlement's provisions debated. Before this can happen, however, a bill needs to be introduced. Account holders are seeking more information on what this settlement means. Unfortunately, they're left without answers.

This process is the first step in restoring affected tribal members' confidence in the federal government. As Members of Congress, it's our job now to mend the broken trust, address the accounting problems and provide a fair solution. With seven Indian reservations spanning Montana, Native Americans play an important role in our heritage and culture. As such, I urge your timely action on this issue and thank you for your consideration.

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