03.04.05

Cantwell Addresses NCAI Winter Session

Pledges to lead fight against extreme judicial nominee William Myers,promote tribal technology access during 109th Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) addressed the Executive Council of the National Council of American Indians (NCAI) at their annual winter session meeting in Washington, D.C. Cantwell, who serves on the Senate's Indian Affairs Committee, spoke about her priorities for the 109 th Congress, which include tribal health care, housing, infrastructure, natural resource rights, business development, access to technology, and expanding economic opportunities in Indian Country.

Cantwell said her legislative priorities include, "rejecting the president's woefully inadequate budget request for Indian programs, providing oversight to ensure that federal agencies are living up to their treaty responsibilities and trust obligations, and passing much needed legislation like finally reauthorizing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and other important laws that guide and fund our social service commitment to tribes."

In addition, Cantwell voiced her strong opposition to William Myers, President Bush's nominee to the 9 th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate defeated Myers's nomination last year, but Bush nominated him again last month. Cantwell noted that the 9 th Circuit hears more Indian law cases than any other circuit, and is second only to the Supreme Court in terms of its impact on federal Indian law. She also observed that he is the only judicial nominee NCAI has ever opposed, because of his extreme anti-Indian decisions and anti-environmental record as the Department of the Interior's Solicitor, the agency's top attorney.

"I will vigorously oppose Mr. Myers's nomination on the floor of the Senate, as well as any judicial nominee who does not fully respect tribal rights and sovereignty," Cantwell said.

Cantwell also discussed the importance of bridging the "digital divide" in Indian Country, by bringing greater access to telecommunications infrastructure, including broadband service, to tribes across the United States.

"There remains a communications crisis in too much of Indian Country," Cantwell said, "and it's undermining the potential for expanding the human, economic, and civic capacities of Indian Nations and tribal members. I find it unacceptable that o nly about 70 percent of Native Americans on reservations and off-reservation trust lands have telephone service in their homes, and it's unacceptable that only about one in ten Native American households have Internet access or personal computers," adding "broadband services are a key tool for economic development and companies will locate where broadband services exist."

As she did in 2004, Cantwell also spoke to the 8th annual "Supporting Each Other" luncheon for women Indian leaders, an event associated with the NCAI Executive Council Session. Following her remarks, the senator helped recognize Quinault Indian Nation President Pearl Capoeman-Baller for her leadership in promoting issues important to Indian Country.

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