Congress sees more changes under Republican control
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
There are many changes in store for Indian Country when Congress
convenes for its 109th session next year.
The most significant is the loss of two major champions. Sen. Ben
Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado), a member of the Northern
Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, is retiring after more than 20 years
of public service. And Sen. Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) is
departing after losing a heated election that saw a record
Indian turnout.
But tribes and their advocates will see other changes,
especially in the makeup of the committees that handle
legislative and other issues. The effect will mostly be
felt in the Senate since Republicans now outnumber
Democrats by 55 to 45.
The shift in power means that Democrats will lose a seat on all the
Senate committees. So instead of a 10 to 9 split on the Judiciary Committee,
for example, it will be 10 to 8 in favor of the Republicans.
Republicans will continue to chair the committees but due to
GOP-imposed term limits, there will be a major shakeup in these positions
on the Senate side. Over in the House, there will be little to no change.
Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) will chair the Senate Indian
Affairs Committee and plans to continue his investigation
into the Jack Abramoff/Michael Scanlon lobbying scandal.
Six tribes gave at least $66 million to the pair but received
little in exchange, according to the panel.
The incoming vice chairman of the committee is Sen. Byron Dorgan
(D-North Dakota). He represents five tribes with land in the
state and also sits on the Appropriations Committee, where he has
advocated for more funding for Indian programs.
As a result of GOP control, Indian Affairs will lose Sen. Harry Reid
(D-Nevada), who agreed to step aside after becoming the Senate minority
leader. Reid rarely attended hearings except when they involved gaming.
In the 108th Congress, he pushed a controversial bill, now signed into law,
to distribute a $140 million trust fund to members of the Western Shoshone
Nation for land tribal activists say still belongs to them.
Other changes on the Senate side center on the Commerce Committee,
whose chairman will be Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and its ranking
member will be
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the longtime vice chairman of the Indian
Affairs Committee. Tribal advocates see this powerful team as very
positive as Stevens and Inouye have a close relationship
and have worked together in the past on Indian issues.
Stevens will be losing his chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee,
a position he used to the great benefit of Alaska Natives. But he
favored corporations rather than tribal governments even as he
dropped his bid to consolidate funding for Native villages.
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) will take over the committee.
Sen. Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico), who is close to many New Mexico
tribal leaders, is expected to stay on as chairman of the Senate Energy
and Natural Resources Committee. Tribal water and land settlements
are often routed through his panel and next year, he will again
seek to pass the energy policy bill that would open up the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.
Over on the House side, Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California)
will chair the Resources Committee. Over the past two years, he
has emerged as a major advocate, particularly on trust reform
and sovereignty.
Exiting the chamber will be Rep. Brad Carson (D-Oklahoma), a member
of the Cherokee Nation. He was defeated in his bid for a Senate seat
that leaves Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Chickasaw
Nation, as the only American Indian in the House.
The chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee is up for grabs since
Rep. Bill Young (R-Florida) will step down after six years. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio)
is eyeing the top post, one of the most powerful.
The 109th Congress will convene January 4, 2005.
Trending in News
1 Tribes rush to respond to new coronavirus emergency created by Trump administration
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'