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SEPTEMBER 22, 2000

The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
Secretary United States Department of Interior
C and 18th Sts
NW Washington DC 20240

Dear Secretary Babbitt:

I am writing to request that your agency place a six-month moratorium on the federal recognition of any Native American tribes until the General Accounting Office (GAO) completes a comprehensive investigation into the federal recognition process.

Enclosed is a letter that I and several other members of Congress, sent to GAO, which outlines the need for a study of the federal recognition process. The impact of recognition has significant consequences for both the tribes involved and the surrounding communities.

There have been questions raised about the credibility of the current recognition process. In fairness to those tribes which can make legitimate claims for recognition, it is critical that the process of recognition be fair, efficient and transparent. The GAO investigation can provide information necessary to ensure such a credible process, and I urge you to suspend tribal recognition for six months to allow the GAO to completely assess this matter.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss this issue further.

Sincerely,

Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress

FRW:cs

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