ICT interview with Sen. Walsh about delayed Cobell payments

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Indian beneficiaries in Oklahoma demand release of Cobell settlement funds at this protest last year. Photo from Katherine Ware-Perosi / Change.Org

Indian Country Today interviews Sen. John Walsh (D-Montana) about S.2387, a bill to speed up distribution of the final payment from the $3.4 billion Cobell trust fund settlement to authorize the investment of the $1.9 billion land consolidation fund:

Since you introduced your legislation, there has been some positive movement from Interior speeding up land buy-back offers to tribes. Are you disappointed that you had to introduce such legislation in the first place?
I am. The people believed that this settlement was moving forward. I’m disappointed in the administration’s actions to not carry out in good faith what was supposed to happen.
Who should be faulted?
The Department of the Interior.
Did you communicate with the Department before introducing your legislation?
No, I didn’t. You know one of the first trips that I took after I was sworn in [in February], Sen. [Jon] Tester [D-Mont.] and I traveled around visiting with the different tribes. These were issues that were brought up on numerous occasions. When we came back and talked about it, I felt we need to do something. So we introduced the legislation.

Get the Story:
Senator Walsh’s No Nonsense Approach to Resolving Cobell (Indian Country Today 6/18)

Relevant Documents:
Judge Hogan's Order (May 29, 2014) | Plaintiffs' Motion (May 23, 2014)