Don Nickles: “Mr. President, as the Senator from South Dakota points out, there are more poor Indians in America than reflected in the…”

“Mr. President, as the Senator from South Dakota points out, there are more poor Indians in America than reflected in the national average. The Senator's amendment calls for a 3-percent set-aside, even in States where there is no Indian population. I began this process several months ago, working with the with Senator Dole and with the Finance Committee, in attempting to achieve some way of providing native Americans with direct block grants to pay for their welfare programs. As part of the bill, no off-the-top lump sum is dedicated for tribes. Indeed, the Dole bill targets Federal funding on a tribe-by-tribe basis, scaled to the actual need, supported by the fiscal year 1994 data, not some overall national estimate of need of 3 percent or 2 percent. Mr. President, I have worked very hard with the Finance Committee in crafting a compromise that will provide direct welfare block grants to the Indian tribes, separate from the States. In response to that, Mr. President, I have received from Indian tribes all over the country, including from the National Indian Child Welfare Association, complete satisfaction with the compromise that was worked out with Senator Dole.”