Doc Hastings: “Last month the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs approved a bill that included a two-word addition to existing law that…”

“Last month the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs approved a bill that included a two-word addition to existing law that effectively blocks the scientific study of ancient skeletal remains discovered on Federal land. This change, tucked into what is being called a technical corrections bill, is very far from a minor 'technical correction.' It is a fundamental shift in existing law and would overturn a decision of the Ninth Circuit Court, which is second only to the Supreme Court. Such an extreme action should not be hidden within a mostly noncontroversial bill. In its ruling, the Ninth Circuit Court expressly allowed the research and scientific study of ancient human remains found in the United States. The Senate bill seeks to quietly erase our Nation's ability to study our past and the planet's human history. The Tri-Cities community in my central Washington district needs no introduction to this issue. They experienced firsthand the court battles that ensued after the 9,300-year-old Kennewick Man remains were discovered on the banks of the Columbia River in 1996. These remains are among the oldest found in North America, and the quality of the remains has the potential to yield researchers greater insight into the early history of man in North America. A full 8 years after the Kennewick Man's discovery, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in 2004, as I have explained, that the remains were to be studied by scientists.”