Daniel Inouye: “it is with some considerable reluctance that I rise today to speak in opposition to the amendment proposed by my good…”

“it is with some considerable reluctance that I rise today to speak in opposition to the amendment proposed by my good friend, the senior Senator from Connecticut, that would prohibit the expenditure of funds for the operations of the Branch of Acknowledgment until the Secretary of the Interior has certified to the Congress that certain administrative procedures have been implemented with respect to the consideration of any petition submitted to the Secretary. The provisions of this amendment are drawn from an authorizing bill, S. 1392, that is now pending in the Committee on Indian Affairs. At Senator Dodd's request, in July of this year I agreed to schedule a hearing on S. 1392. That hearing is to be held on Tuesday, September 17. As chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, I believe that Senator Dodd's request for a hearing in the authorizing committee reflects a position on which we can both agree that the appropriate venue for the consideration of reforms to the Branch of Acknowledgment process is in the authorizing committee of jurisdiction.”