*Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2010 *

**Statement on Senate Passage of the Legislation Settling Claims Against the Department of Agriculture **

*November 19, 2010 *

I applaud the Senate for passing the claims settlement act of 2010, which will at long last provide funding for the agreements reached in the *Pigford II* lawsuit, brought by African American farmers, and the *Cobell* lawsuit, brought by Native Americans over the management of Indian trust accounts and resources. I particularly want to thank Attorney General Holder and Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack for their continued work to achieve this outcome. I urge the House to move forward with this legislation as they did earlier this year, and I look forward to signing it into law.

This bill also includes settlements for four separate water rights suits made by Native American tribes. I support these settlements, and my administration is committed to addressing the water needs of tribal communities. While these legislative achievements reflect important progress, they also serve to remind us that much work remains to be done. That is why my administration also continues to work to resolve claims of past discrimination made by women and Hispanic farmers against the USDA.

NOTE: The statement referred to H.R. 4783.

*Categories:* Statements by the President : Department of Agriculture, *Pigford* and *Cobell* settlement claims legislation, Senate passage.

*Names:* Holder, Eric H., Jr.; Salazar, Kenneth L.; Vilsack, Thomas J.

*Subjects:* Agriculture, Department of : *Pigford* class-action lawsuit on discrimination, settlement; Agriculture, Department of : Secretary; American Indians and Alaska Natives : *Cobell* class-action lawsuit on Indian trust management, settlement; American Indians and Alaska Natives : Tribal nations, relations with the Federal Government; Interior, Department of the : Secretary; Justice, Department of : Attorney General; Legislation, proposed : "The Claims Resettlement Act of 2010".

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201001003.