Christopher Shays: “This is an important dialogue to have, and I appreciate the candor of the gentleman. What he has basically said is…”

“This is an important dialogue to have, and I appreciate the candor of the gentleman. What he has basically said is: What's wrong with that? What is wrong with all of the State-recognized tribes getting Federal recognition in my State, for instance? I would like all of my State legislators and my senators and my State representatives to hear what you just said because that is what concerns us. There is a lot wrong with that because some of the State-recognized tribes don't meet the standard that we say of a social, political and economic continuity. There were times when they didn't even exist for awhile, but we recognize them on the State level. I can't emphasize enough that what you are doing is you are opening a huge Pandora's box; and however well intended you are, you have heard the basic argument. Every Member of Congress who has a State-recognized tribe but not a federally recognized tribe, be well aware of what this new Congress is coming from: What's wrong with that? There is a lot wrong with that. Go through the process. And if the process is not working, change the process. Don't start overriding the Bureau of Indian Affairs and doing it just for a select few. I want to point out to my colleague, I am not impressed that it was from the 106th Congress. That is just a few years ago. There are others that are going through the process fairly, working hard, and now they are going to say we have been trying since the 103rd and the 105th and 99th.”