The $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit passed the House on Thursday night after being included in an appropriations measure.

Section 5003 of H.R.4899 authorizes the settlement. It provides $1.412 billion in payments to individual Indians and creates a $2 billion land consolidation fund.

H.R.4899 already passed the Senate but the settlement and other changes were included in a new amendment that was brought up in the House. The Senate would have to approve the bill again after the July 4 recess.

"The House of Representatives once again has confirmed its commitment to offer a measure of justice to an estimated 500,000 Native Americans" lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell said in a statement. "These first citizens of our nation had their lands and their monies mismanaged by the federal government under the failed Indian Trust. With a House vote late Thursday night these Native Americans have moved closer to recovering some of their lost money."

"This is the second time that the House has approved the settlement we reached with the government in December to end our 14-year-long lawsuit over the government's mismanagement of individual Indian money accounts," Cobell added. Cobell said she hopes the Senate will take action to pass the settlement. A partisan dispute led to the failure of a different bill that included the deal.

"We know there is strong support for the Cobell settlement language in the Senate and we hope the Senate will break its current gridlock and quickly approve this measure," Cobell said.

Also Today:
Cobell settlement stumbles in Senate (Indian Country Today 7/2)
NCAI Cobell change resolution prompts tribal support (Indian Country Today 7/2)

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

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