*Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2010 *

**Statement on Signing the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 **

*December 8, 2010 *

Today I have signed into law H.R. 4783, the "Claims Resolution Act of 2010." This Act, among other things, provides funding and statutory authorities for the settlement agreements reached in the *Cobell* lawsuit, brought by Native Americans; the *Pigford II* lawsuit, brought by African American farmers; and four separate water rights suits, brought by Native American tribes. While I am pleased that this Act reflects important progress, much work remains to be done to address other claims of past discrimination made by women and Hispanic farmers against the Department of Agriculture as well as to address needs of tribal communities.

I am also pleased that the Act includes authorities proposed by my Administration concerning Unemployment Compensation program integrity, to expand the ability of the Federal Government to recover from individual income tax overpayments certain Unemployment Compensation debts that are due to an individual's failure to report earnings. My Administration has been working to protect taxpayer funds through improved recovery of improper Federal payments, and the additional authorities in this Act will assist in that effort. In order to ensure that the intent and effect of these program integrity provisions are realized, my Administration is working with the Congress to correct an inadvertent technical drafting error in section 801(a)(3)(C), so that the provision can be implemented as intended.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House,

December 8, 2010.

NOTE: H.R. 4783, approved December 8, was assigned Public Law No. 111–291.

*Categories:* Bill Signings and Vetoes : Claims Resolution Act of 2010, statement*.*

*Subjects:* Agriculture, Department of : Pigford class-action lawsuit on discrimination, settlement; 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; Employment and unemployment : Unemployment insurance; Legislation, enacted : Claims Resolution Act of 2010.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201001053.