The U.S. Supreme Court will hold arguments in Salazar v. Ramah Navajo Chapter, a self-determination case, on Wednesday.

The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act authorizes tribes and Alaska Native entities to enter into contacts to manage federal programs. The law requires the government to pay for the cost of the program, along with "contract support costs."

Congress, however, has failed to provide enough appropriations to cover the contract support costs. As a result, agencies like the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have refused to fully fund all of the contracts.

In a May 2011 decision, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the BIA must pay the funds to tribes involved in the Ramah class action. At the urging of the Obama administration, the Supreme Court agreed to review the case.

Oral arguments will last one hour, according to the high court's hearing list.

Also Today:
Argument preview: Are Congress’s spending caps binding? (SCOTUSblog 4/13)

10th Circuit Decision:
Ramah Navajo Chapter v. Salazar (May 9, 2011)

Related Stories:
Supreme Court agrees to take up self-determination dispute (01/09)
Supreme Court puts off action on self-determination litigation (11/28)
10th Circuit sides with tribes on self-determination contracts (5/9)