On the recordMarch 15, 2013
I thank the gentleman. Madam Chair, I want to thank my good friend, Mr. Young, for bringing this amendment. Nobody has worked harder or worked longer for Native peoples in this Chamber than my good friend from Alaska. And the fact that we would guarantee this, I think, is an important recognition of how difficult the circumstances are for much of the Native population in the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not actually keep statistics on Native American unemployment, but anybody that has ever been to a reservation knows that we have plenty of them in the middle of States with very low unemployment rates where the unemployment rate on a reservation will be 75 percent or more. So, again, I want to thank my friend for making sure that important resources are directed toward an often neglected population. I want to thank him for his many years of work in this area and look forward to working with him as we move forward.
