[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 164 (Thursday, November 18, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN (for himself and Mr. Lott):
  S. 1967. A bill to make technical corrections to the status of 
certain land held in trust for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, 
to take certain land into trust for that Band, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Indian Affairs.


                  MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS

 Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to 
make technical corrections to the status of certain land held in trust 
for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and to take certain land 
into trust for the Band.
  Mr. President, the lands involved in this bill are lands currently 
owned by the tribe. Over the last 20 years, the tribe has attempted to 
transfer the land to reservation land, through the regular processes of 
the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The land 
transfer applications have the support of the State of Mississippi and 
the local neighboring governments.
  Countless times over the years, the tribe has been told by the 
Department that land transfer applications have been lost and that 
action would occur soon.
  Housing, a school and a medical clinic are among the construction 
plans that are detained because of the inaction by the Department and 
BIA. Mr. President, this tribe is simply out of time. The school 
waiting to be replaced has over two pages of safety violations from the 
BIA. The medical clinic will not pass its next inspection. Thousands of 
Mississippi Choctaw citizens have substandard living conditions because 
of the lack of available housing.
  Mr. President, the Choctaws are held up as the best example of self 
determination. Yet, the federal government seems determined to throw 
obstacles in the course of their success. The history of these land 
acquisition applications and the treatment of the tribe is intolerable.
  The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed the bill and advises it 
has no budgetary impact. I urge the Senate to pass this bill.
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