February 28 is the deadline for Congress to approve the $3.4 billion Cobell trust fund settlement but attorneys for the plaintiffs and the Obama administration remain hopeful.

The original deadline was December 31, 2009, but the parties agreed to an extension after Congress failed to act. “A lot is happening on the Hill, but I don’t have a sense of any serious opposition," plaintiffs' attorney Keith Harper, a member of the Cherokee Nation, told Main Justice. "Both sides have been supportive of this resolution.”

The deal provides $1.4 billion in cash to Indian beneficiaries and creates a $2 billion land consolidation program to buy fractionated interests from landowners and return the parcels to tribes.

Get the Story:
Perrelli, Cobell Lawyer Hopeful Congress Will Meet Deadline (Main Justice 1/29)

Relevant Documents:
Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

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