It would be neither responsible nor constructive for this Committee or the Congress to attempt to push through legislation like the bills before us today without considering the views of the states, counties and cities that we represent.

The current process is lawless.

We are very eager and willing and ready to continue participating in this process, working toward a common solution.

I think everyone testifying, pro and con, has referred to it as a fix. It is a quick fix that in the long term may do more harm than good.

This legislation would very bluntly overturn the Supreme Court decision from February.

In my view, that issue would be mooted if it adopted the recommendation that I have made, which is that it take back authority for all of these fee into trust decisions.

I am here to oppose these measures because of my respect for the principles of sovereignty and the practical impact of land into trust.

And if we are worried about litigation, I can predict to you 10 more years of crippling litigation in the wake of these two measures because they leave the basic legal problems unresolved.

But it is unreasonable to expect Congress to simply ignore such concerns and fast-track this legislation without considering the effects of these bills.

I believe either the Department of the Interior or the Congress has to clarify what is meant by that term, 'Federal jurisdiction'.

I hope they will reform the process on their own.

This may strike many on both sides of the aisle as going too far and greatly overstepping a direct answer to the Carcieri decision.