Congress has until May 28 to approve a $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit before the judge overseeing the case takes matters into his own hands.

The Cobell plaintiffs and the Obama administration reached the settlement last December. Despite support from key members of Congress and two hearings on the matter, no legislation has been introduced to authorize the deal.

Judge James Robertson says he will wait until the end of the month for Congress to act. If nothing happens, he plans to convene an open hearing to find out what went wrong.

President Barack Obama has asked Congress to fund the settlement twice since December. The most recent request was transmitted on February 12.

The case will continue in litigation without a settlement.

Get the Story:
Lowered Fee Cap May Scuttle $3 Billion Settlement (The American Lawyer 5/7)

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

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