Ken Calvert: “I was happy to support the gentleman and accept the prior amendment, but this just goes too far. I couldn't agree with…”

“I was happy to support the gentleman and accept the prior amendment, but this just goes too far. I couldn't agree with the gentleman more that the Federal obligations for construction in Indian Country far outweigh the amount of money we have in the budget. That is why the Bureau of Indian Affairs Construction account has been and will continue to be a nonpartisan priority for the subcommittee, and we are certainly proud of the progress we have made so far, but I cannot support an offset on an account that also serves Indian Country and other underserved populations. In addition to cutting the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, this amendment is likely to cut the Office of Native American Relations, the Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization, the Office of Civil Rights, and the Office of Hearings and Appeals. Again, while I agree with the increase, and I certainly don't disagree with the gentleman's intentions, I cannot in good conscience agree to this offset. If we find money down the road in this process as the gentlewoman and I are going through the conference, this is something I would be very interested in looking at, but right now I must encourage a ``no'' vote. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.”