Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the vice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, blocked passage of the $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit on Thursday.

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the chairman of the committee, asked the Senate to approve the settlement through a unanimous consent process. But Barrasso objected and said he wanted to make changes to the deal.

"My colleague from Wyoming, I think, wishes he were one of the negotiators," Dorgan said on the floor, the Associated Press reported "Nobody in Congress was a negotiator ... the question is whether we will meet our responsibility."

The National Black Farmers Association was pushing for a vote on Cobell and a $1.2 billion settlement for African-American farmers. The group's president said the objection to Cobell held up the unanimous consent measure.

Get the Story:
Funding for black farmers, Indians stalls again (AP 8/5)
Senate leaves without funding black farmers suit (Reuters 8/5)
Press Release: Justice Denied for Black Farmers. Senate Again Fails Black Farmers, Despite Government Admission of Discrimination, Court Settlement (NBFA 8/4)

Cobell Settlement Documents:
Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

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