And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Ned Gignoux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: FCNL Native American Legislative Update for 11-24-99 Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 11:45:00 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 FCNL Native American Legislative Updates for November 24, 1999 The following are updates and action suggestions from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) regarding Indian affairs legislation for the coming two weeks. These messages focus on selected legislation which Congress is considering now, and suggest some points that you may wish to make in your communications with your members of Congress. These messages are intended as a supplement to other FCNL Native American Program materials and do not reflect FCNL's complete policy position on any issue, nor do they include all pertinent facts on any topic. For more information, or to request the FCNL Indian Report and other background documents, please contact the FCNL Legislative Intern for Native American Affairs: (202) 547-6000 ext. 109; 245 2nd St. NE, Washington, DC 20002; [EMAIL PROTECTED] FAREWELL! After 4 ½ years with FCNL, Aura Kanegis will be leaving to continue her work in support of Native American tribes as a legislative affairs specialist with the Indian law practice of Hobbs, Straus, Dean, and Walker. Please direct future FCNL correspondence to Ned Stowe, Legislative Secretary, or Ned Gignoux, Legislative Intern for Native American Affairs. INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS. The "Omnibus" appropriations bill, just signed by President Clinton, includes increased funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). BIA would receive $86 million more that in Fiscal Year 1999. New funds are included for law enforcement, school construction, tribal colleges and contract support costs. Although the final funding level for Indian programs remains below the President's total Fiscal Year 2000 request, it is significantly higher than the amount included in the Interior appropriations conference report that Congress had approved earlier in the session. In addition to the extra funds, one of the most positive elements about the bill is that the moratorium on new tribal self-determination contracts was lifted and funding for contract support costs for tribal contracting of BIA and Indian Health Service responsibilities was increased. $10 million dollars is provided for contracting BIA services. Half will pay for existing unfunded contract support while the other half is intended for the expansion of contracting. Unfortunately, some negative policy riders remained in the bill including provision that allows the Interior Secretary to redistribute up to 10% of a tribe's TPA funding in certain circumstances. This authority to redistribute TPA, the main source of funding for most tribes, should not be placed in the hands of the Secretary. As part of the final overall budget agreement, the President is required to cut overall federal discretionary spending by .38% or about $1.3 billion. It is uncertain where these rescissions will be made (e.g. Military spending? Programs that meet human needs? Environmental protection? Indian affairs?) Congress gave the Administration some flexibility in making its choices, but it is prohibited from cutting any single program by more that 15%. ACTION: Please contact the President. Thank him for his administration's leadership in obtaining additional funds for BIA programs. Urge him to protect funding for Indian programs from rescissions. ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. Bills introduced by Rep. Vento (MN) and Sen. Roth (DE) designate the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness. These bills are of great importance to the Gwich'in tribe of Alaska. For thousands of years, the Gwich'in, also known as the "Caribou People", have lived with the Porcupine (River) Caribou Herd. Their relationship to the caribou is much like that of the Plains Indians to the buffalo. Because of this interdependency, preservation of the calving and nursery grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, located on the coastal plain of ANWR, is crucial to Gwich'in cultural survival. ANWR should be preserved as wilderness in perpetuity and should not be opened up to the oil industry. ACTION: Please contact your Senators and Representative. Express your support for H.R. 1239 and S. 867. Ask them if they have signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation. If they have not, urge them to. This is the last Native American Legislative Update of this session of the 106th Congress. Watch for the next NALU in late January. Congress returns on January 24, 2000. Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. <><<<<<>>>>><><<<<> Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ <><<<<<>>>>><><<<<>
