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APRIL 27, 2001

ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID
Although some might accuse Bush of having a one-track mind, that certainly isn't the case when it comes to his proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut, which he has consistently pushed since day one.

As the nation approaches day 100, the focus is still there but the changes are imminent. The reason? The budget, which includes slashes to a number of programs and agencies which both Democrats and Republicans aren't too happy about.

Indian Country comes out here relatively even, as long as the historical blinders are kept on. While Bush's budget requests increases at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Services, Indian programs are slated for cuts, elimination, or no growth despite years of under-funding.

Selected Stories:
Bush cuts Interior budget (3/1)
BIA Budget: To cut or not to cut? (4/9)
BIA proposal includes slight increases (4/10)
BIA / OST Budget Overview (4/10)
Some BIA programs lose out (4/13)
EPA Budget: No new funds for tribal grant programs (4/13)
DOE budget: Pueblo cleanup, Indian funds cut (4/13)

LET NORTON DO THE TALKING
Vice-President Dick Cheney may be the action behind the curtain but Gale Norton is the voice.

Charged with pushing the administration's energy and environmental goals, Norton has been engaged in an unprecendented public relations campaign for an Interior Secretary, appearing at events, before Congress, and traveling beyond the Beltway well before her fellow Cabinet members get a chance to fully settle in.

Indian Country lucked out, scoring Norton's first public appearance and her first Congressional testimony. And faster than any previous administration, Indian Country saw the naming of Neal McCaleb as Norton's top Indian official.

Norton's public presence, of course, comes at a price. She has been criticized for every environmental misstep by the administration, even if the decision occurred outsider her department.

But on some decisions, Norton will definitely have to face the crowd. Pledging to make trust reform a top priority, Norton has been thrust under the glaring eyes of Congress and the courts, who tend to fear the worst is not yet over for the debacle which has plagued her department long before she showed up.

And then there's oil and gas drilling. Although opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska requires Congressional approval, Norton has been pushing for development in the region for years.

Selected Stories:
Norton makes case for Arctic drilling (02/13)
Landmark trust fund decision upheld (2/26)
Message to Norton: Don't Threaten Us (3/7)
Norton targeted for contempt (3/15)
BIA Memo: Trust reform out of control (3/16)
Gwich'in Nation: We Come from the Caribou (4/4)
Memo: Trust reform project needs extra attention (4/11)
Court monitor to oversee trust reform (4/17)
McCaleb named to Indian Affairs post (4/18)
Tribal leaders have advice for McCaleb (4/18)
Reagan returns with new administration (4/18)
Bush: Snowmobile ban, Arctic drilling a go (4/24)
Norton hit on environment, budget (4/25)

PART 2
A closer look at Norton's role in The First 100 Days.