Unanimous-Consent Request H.R. 4994
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, again, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague from North Dakota. He is compassionate and makes a compelling argument. We do need to settle the Cobell lawsuit. I ask the leaders to, over the next couple weeks, come together and allow for a very limited debate, possibly a few amendments on the floor, and then an up-or-down vote.
That is the sort of thing we need to do--in the light of day--with the Members of the Senate, not something that continues to be brought forth with the goal of getting a unanimous-consent agreement. We are not there.
I think the ideas I have brought forward are good. They come forward because those are the ideas I have had brought to me through various tribes from around the country who have concerns about the settlement. There have been large meetings of different tribes who have come out in support of these ideas that they have brought to me. I think it is very reasonable for the Senate, if we can arrange for a limited time for debate on the specifics and not be asked in a unanimous consent on the last evening before Members of this body have scattered home to their States, when they are no longer here. They have been told they are not going to vote again until the middle of September.
I think it is reasonable to ask the Senate to have a discussion on this and then a vote. If the Senate, in its wisdom, decides that is what they want and they want to pass this as written, then the will of the Senate has been worked. That is why I raise these concerns tonight.
With great admiration for the chairman, who has worked so well, in a bipartisan way on our committee, we have worked together on legislation on Indian affairs. He is chairman and I am vice chairman. I can understand his concerns and wanting to get this settled. I do too. I feel obligated to bring forth the concerns I have heard from across this country and bring them here.
That is the reason I object to the settlement tonight, and I would love to have our leaders work together to bring this forward to the floor for discussion, debate, and then an up-or-down vote.
I yield the floor.
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