[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 8 (Monday, January 30, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ABRAMOFF SCANDAL

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, as both vice chairman of the Senate 
Ethics Committee and a member of the Senate Committee on Indian 
Affairs, I have been absolutely appalled at the scope and the depth of 
the villainy associated with the Abramoff lobbying scandal.
  Inasmuch as Washington recently has become consumed and distracted by 
the utterly shameful actions of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, I 
believe that it is essential to understand just how far removed from 
this scandal Indian tribes are. While a small handful of tribes were 
represented by Mr. Abramoff and were victimized by his incredibly shady 
and cynical manipulation of their funds, the vast majority of our 
Nation's 560 tribes and Alaskan Native villages had nothing to do with 
him or his practices. Less than half of those tribes operate casinos, 
and only a tiny proportion of those generate the kind of money that 
would attract the likes of Mr. Abramoff.
  Most of the tribes that operate casinos are far from wealthy. The 
myth that all or most gaming Indian tribes are rolling in dough is 
wildly incorrect. The tribes in South Dakota and many around the 
country have large land bases and extensive enrolled memberships. Their 
casinos are often located in remote, rural areas far away from large 
numbers of affluent customers and set amidst dire levels of poverty and 
unemployment. The truth is that most of these casinos provide some 
badly needed jobs and only a modest amount of revenue. The income that 
remains after payroll expenses are largely then immediately consumed by 
a huge backlog of financial needs for education, housing, health and 
economic development within their reservations.
  While a few Indian tribes were associated with Mr. Abramoff, the fees 
they paid were far beyond what most tribes could possibly afford--and 
in the end, their hired lobbyist abused both their money and their 
trust. Clearly, this scandal was a lobbying scandal, not a tribal 
scandal. The reality in too much of Indian Country is the consequence 
of chronic poverty: shocking levels of disease, inadequate housing, 
crime, drug and alcohol abuse, low school graduation rates, hunger, and 
stressed families. These tribes aren't paying Washington lobbyists 
millions of dollars, but instead are struggling every day to make ends 
meet and to help restore the dignity of their members.
  While I did not receive any money from Jack Abramoff, I did receive 
legal contributions from tribes he represented. I am proud of the 
support Indian tribes and individual Native Americans have extended to 
me over the years. We must help restore the American public's faith in 
good, responsible government and preserve participation by sovereign 
Indian tribes in our democracy.

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