Joe Baca: “I rise in support of the Kildee-Hayworth amendment. This amendment strikes a provision that would create a Commission on…”

“I rise in support of the Kildee-Hayworth amendment. This amendment strikes a provision that would create a Commission on Native American Policy to conduct more studies related to Native American communities. This provision violates House rules that prohibit legislation on an appropriation bill. We talked earlier about needing a study. The problem with this bill is it does not appropriate additional dollars. It does not appropriate additional dollars. The studies have already been done. We know that. What we need to do is provide more funding. What we are doing right now is we are taking Federal funding away from Indian bureaus when we should be providing the additional funding for education, for housing, for law enforcement. Yes, that is what we should be doing right now, but we are not doing it. All we are asking for is an additional study with no appropriation monies. We all have the information in front of us. What we should be doing is providing the funding. Yes, I have been to Indian reservations. I have visited the schools. When schools are going on, we see a child who does not have a computer, does not have the technology; and when we look at people who do not have the clothing, we need to make sure that we provide the funding. This study does not do anything for us. Let us make sure that we provide the assistance and support for the Kildee-Hayworth amendment right now that strikes this provision.”