Pete Domenici: “Mr. President, I say to my fellow Senators, I think the important thing for the hundreds of thousands of Indians in the…”

“Mr. President, I say to my fellow Senators, I think the important thing for the hundreds of thousands of Indians in the United States and Indian country and the 10 percent of the population of the State of New Mexico who are Indian people. There are 22 different Indian tribes and pueblos in my State, living in a completely different style, but all Indians nonetheless. The most important thing for them is we have won today. We did not lose on the issue of sovereignty as it pertains to their immunity in their court systems. We did not lose, in an appropriations bill, without adequate hearings, without adequate information on one of the most complex and historic-filled situations in our Government and our governance. We won, because those decisions to take away tribal judicial immunity, whether it be for 1 year or forever, have been withdrawn from this bill. I thank the distinguished Senator, Senator Slade Gorton, for withdrawing his judicial immunity provision. I think it has become absolutely and unequivocally discernible by everyone that is a very complicated issue.”