Political Quotes

“I rise today regarding H.R. 1294, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2007. While I support granting these six Virginia tribes Federal recognition, I remain concerned about opening the door to casino-style gaming in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia tribes have always contended that they have no interest in pursuing gaming. And I was encouraged when the Resources Committee adopted an amendment to limit the tribes' ability to pursue gaming. However, in recent days I have begun to hear murmurs that the language is not as strong as we have been led to believe, and the tribes are considering challenging the gaming limitation. I have always believed the tribes when they have said they do not wish to pursue gambling, so I hope that there is no truth to a challenge. I believe it is the desire of this Congress that if challenged in court, this language would be upheld, just as similar language was upheld in Del Sur Pueblo v. The State of Texas, 69 Fed. App. 659. However, I urge the Senate to look closely at this bill to see if this language can be tightened and strengthened to further ensure that casino-style gambling does not come to the Commonwealth. We must ensure that this bill, while well-intentioned, does not negatively affect Virginia. The Commonwealth of Virginia and the Nation should honor and recognize these tribes.”