Indian Country Today interviewed David Hayes, the deputy secretary at the Interior Department, about a controversial anti-gaming proposal being pushed on Capitol Hill.

Hayes confirms that Interior provided "drafting services" to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), who wants to restrict off-reservation gaming. However, he was unwilling to say whether the effort violated the department's policy to consult with tribes about issues that affect them.

"I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. … I think I’ve covered it," Hayes told ICT, when asked to provide details about the drafting services.

Hayes was unwilling to explain how the process worked internally at Interior. He said he wasn't "intimately" involved with the effort although he doesn't deny being aware of what happened.

"I’m not going to go into it. I was not personally close to the process," Hayes told ICT.

Hayes noted that the Obama administration supports a "clean" fix to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. But officials so far haven't denounced or opposed Feinstein's proposal to restrict gaming on newly acquired trust lands.

Get the Story:
Interior’s Hayes defends Carcieri dealings (Indian Country Today 12/13)

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