James Whittier Parker: “let me point out. I want to make sure that everyone knows that the appropriating subcommittee has gone farther than…”

“let me point out. I want to make sure that everyone knows that the appropriating subcommittee has gone farther than anyone has ever gone in the past in trying to rectify this problem. I also want people to know that the administration has done nothing. They have sent up letters saying ``you have created a problem,'' but they did not try to resolve that problem before coming up here. They dumped it in our laps. I realize that. But I also know that we are in a situation where we have got to do something, and I think that it is very important that we send the right message to these Indian tribes, and that we let them know that privatization is the correct way to go and that they are able to depend on us, that we will follow through. One thing that I do not want, and this bothers me a great deal, this subcommittee has been good enough to put an additional $26 million in. Whatever happens on my amendment, if it should pass, I would hate to see this committee move back from their position and remove $26 million or decrease that amount. That would be something that I think would be not only hurtful to the Indian tribes, it would send the wrong message to them as far as what we are trying to do. So, from a very personal standpoint, I want to make sure that this $26 million stays in the IHS funding.”