Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), the chairman of the House Resources Committee, supports a settlement of the Cobell v. Norton trust fund case, a spokesperson said.

Pombo has held hearings to address potential resolution of the case. In 2004, his committee oversaw mediation between the Cobell plaintiffs and the Interior Department.

The talks produced little agreement and the Bush administration is now claiming that the Cobell case shouldn't be settled for money but for an accounting. The department is criticizing a proposed $27.487 billion payout to individual Indians.

Pombo isn't endorsing the number, a spokesperson said, but believes account holders are owed money. �We are trying to find a balance � a real and fair approach to this. What he is also looking for is to do something that will prevent this from happening again,� the spokesperson told The Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Get the Story:
Indian's proposal targets roots of mismanagement (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 6/27)

Relevant Documents:
Trust Reform and Cobell Settlement Workgroup Principles for Legislation (June 2005)

Relevant Links:
National Congress of American Indians - http://www.ncai.org
Intertribal Trust Fund Monitoring Association - http://www.itmatrustfunds.org
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Senate Indian Affairs Committee - http://indian.senate.gov

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