Eva M. Clayton: “I want to make the distinction that while we are asking our colleagues to reexamine and recommit to restoring the $81…”

“I want to make the distinction that while we are asking our colleagues to reexamine and recommit to restoring the $81 million for the Indian education program, I want us to understand that this is not duplicative of the program that is already there. This really has a distinct value in and above that, and it is supplementary and not duplicative. It means these are programs going to public schools to enable 92 percent of all Indians who live in this country to get additional supplemental education. It is an opportunity to make sure that those young people, who are falling through the cracks academically, have an opportunity to be competitive and do well. Further, I would think our colleagues would find it unacceptable that $81 million would get in the way of doing what we should be doing for the very first inhabitants of this country. Further, I think we would want to support education as being consistent with self-sufficiency. I see all of these reasons and others as to why we should want to restore this to its full amount, and not reduce it to a lesser amount than it is presently. Really, it should be increased.”