Ernest Istook: “Mr. Chairman, I find it interesting if someone would claim that we are disregarding the needs of American Indians in…”

“Mr. Chairman, I find it interesting if someone would claim that we are disregarding the needs of American Indians in this country, if they will look, for example, at page 5 of the report of the very bill that is on this floor right now, they will find that we are appropriating approximately $6.5 billion for American Indian programs. Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, Indian Health Services, all of these other matters. Why? Because we have undertaken certain obligations and we seek to honor them. We do not permit, for example, a member of the general public to go into a commissary on Federal military property and buy goods at any sort of reduced rate. That is only limited to military personnel, and reserves cannot even do it if they are not on active duty. Now, if we were to open up those or any other place and say that the general public is invited to come in and do their shopping, in competition with those that are not there for a special purpose, then I would agree with the analogy that the gentleman from Rhode Island raises.”