I would also want to make sure that this is not because we simply are not spending enough money on roads and access.

I am a big proponent. I mean, I really do believe in user fees in a variety of areas.

I am just skeptical if it really is, and this has come to me rather recently.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my good friend Mr. Abercrombie for his distinguished career and our good friendship. And the fact that I am rising in support of this bill and my good friend Mr. Young has risen in support of this…

I think Mr. Simpson makes an excellent point about maintaining this particular program over time.

The Federal government's treatment of tribal nations over most of the last 200 years has often been reprehensible.

I would be honored to assist in the passage of his bill as one of his lead Republican co-sponsors.

Since the Carcieri decision has been published, tribes throughout the United States are worried.

This decision, which would fundamentally change the nature of tribal land in the United States, caught most individuals in the tribal community by surprise.

The Indian Reorganization Act was meant to encourage tribal sovereignty and self-governance in order to build sustainable self-governing tribal communities.

H.R. 3697 and H.R. 3742, bills whose enactment would have amended Section 19.

This whole issue of force, this predates this freeze, of forced relocations is really interesting.

I think each side has a pretty good argument to make because at the end of the day we just underfund the program.

Mr. Chairman, you can see what our problem has been for about 500 years. There are a lot of Choctaws.

But you need, you do need to have that tool, and Congress needs to be willing to sort of, you know, stand up to the lobbies.

The tribe owns the land, and the tribe ought to be free, to develop its resources.

The politics are tough.

Thank you for the example you provide in the reinvestment of tribal funds back into education, back into services.

If you are not there and do not have these urban-based centers where so much of the native population is now off reservation and doing other things.

Part of the Choctaw Nation is in my district and I just do not want that to apply to every part.

Because the need is real and you are quite right, the trust obligation does not cease simply because you are not on a reservation or in an area of jurisdiction.

What is your comfort level that Johnson-O'Malley funds... are actually used as they are intended to be used?

I have been to the facilities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and they are terrific, and we get a lot of folks that would not get health care that are from either their reservations or areas of historic jurisdiction that have it, so thank you.

It is a huge problem for us. We have had enormous growth.

I agree. I understand the funding need as well, but I just want to point out for the record, Mr. Chairman, the Senate actually got that passed last year and we were very close in the House.