D.C. – The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee is demanding that the Obama administration hold off on new rules that could make it easier for Indian groups to win federal recognition as tribes.
American Indians have been pushing for years to revise the process, but proposed regulations nearing the finish line have deeply divided existing tribes, and Congress.
Rep. Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican, says he’s prepared to use every tool at his disposal to block enactment of the regulations. He criticized the Interior Department for forwarding the regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for final approval earlier this week. He said the administration has ignored lawmakers’ requests to hold off on the rules until Congress has a chance to review them.
“Are our concerns not important to you?” Bishop asked an Obama administration official during a subcommittee hearing Wednesday evening.
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