It's not clear to me that the commission does have the authority to order arbitration.

I look forward to continuing our work on this legislation in the days and months ahead.

I am also troubled by our failure in the current draft to strengthen existing interconnection requirements.

Is there such a thing as a middle ground?

I remain deeply concerned that further advances are needed so that any new franchising process will preserve important consumer protections.

I think the impact of no legislation is a structural change in the Internet, which would, for better or worse--I believe, for worse--change the way the Internet works.

I believe it should. I believe it is the cornerstone of what gave us the Internet through Title II.

I continue to be concerned by the lack of significant progress in a number of key areas.

I commend you for holding this hearing because this hearing is about more than trust applications.

But no such process exists for taking land out of trust.

It is about the Federal Government's obligation to Native America.

Unfortunately, the stripping of Indian lands has not stopped.

Although I do not personally support gaming, I served as the primary sponsor of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act because of the matter of sovereignty.

It is sad to note that there is no opposition to this movement.

Today, you have no idea who you're shooting at. The rules of war do not apply.

Because the Native Hawaiian government is not an Indian tribe, the body of Federal Indian law that would otherwise customarily apply when the United States extends Federal recognition to an Indian tribal group does not apply.

. . . That is why concerns which are premised on the manner in which Federal Indian law provides for the respective governmental authorities of the state governments and Indian tribal governments simply don't apply in Hawaii.

I have participated in many hearings, and this is one of the most depressing, obviously.

I think all of us have our share of fault.

I can assure you that we will do our very best.

All I can say is, once again this has been the most depressing hearing I have participated in.

I just have one question, Mr. Chairman. I note that up until fiscal year 2003, the Department of Justice was expending about $34 million a year for facilities, and suddenly the following year it dropped to $5 million and now it is $2…

If you had to select one facility or one tribe as having a good arrangement, can you pick one so we can have a model prison?

My only regret is that our colleagues are not here. They should have heard this.

So this is a model that Indian country should look at?