William Bryan: “I support the Enzi amendment. I think a statement may be helpful to my colleagues who have not followed this issue as…”

“I support the Enzi amendment. I think a statement may be helpful to my colleagues who have not followed this issue as closely as the Senators who have joined us on the floor for purposes of discussing this amendment, the statement of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes that a page of history may be more instructive than a volume of logic. This issue dates back to the time of a court decision involving the Cabazon Indian Tribe. As a result of that decision, the Congress, in 1988, passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which has been referred to in the course of this debate as IGRA. I think the philosophical underpinnings of that legislation continue to be valid. Let me make it clear, because sometimes my view is misconstrued, I support the right of Indian tribes to enjoy entrepreneurial gaming activities to the same extent that State law, as a matter of public policy, permits those entrepreneurial activities to be available to all. So this debate is not whether you agree with Indian gaming or disagree with Indian gaming.”