Political Quotes

“I think what must be emphasized here is the issue of sovereignty. These are sovereign tribes. They do have sovereign rights. They have the right to approach the Federal Government when they negotiate on an equal basis, and yet the thrust of this amendment is to put a limitation on the Secretary from taking lands into the reservation unless there is a binding agreement between the tribes, States, and local governments that would require the tribe to pay State and local taxes on reservation lands; in other words, unless they give up their sovereignty, unless we limit that sovereignty for this purpose. So they are not going into some negotiation on an equal basis when not one but both hands are tied behind their back, as this amendment would do. I think it is very important to keep that in mind.”