Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff in the Indian trust fund lawsuit, said she's frustrated by the failure of Congress to approve a $3.4 billion settlement to the case.

"All we had to do is get it reaffirmed by Congress, who has been beating on me forever, saying, 'Settle this.' Finally, we bring them a settlement that both parties have agreed upon, and then we don't get any action," Cobell told The Great Falls Tribune.

Key members of Congress support the deal, which authorizes $1.412 billion in payments to trust beneficiaries and creates a $2 billion land consolidation fund. But there's apparently a concern about how to pay for it.

"My view is that since it comes out of a settlement fund, it doesn't need to be offset," Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee was quoted as saying. "We need to get this done. I never thought it was going to be a slam dunk, but I'm surprised that it's not getting done."

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana), another committee, member, said the money has to come from somewhere. "It needs to be paid for," he was quoted as saying.

Get the Story:
Indian suit settlement stalled in Congress (The Great Falls Tribune 4/24)

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

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