Indianz.Com > News > President Obama to sign bill with Cobell settlement this afternoon

President Obama to sign bill with Cobell settlement this afternoon
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Filed Under: Cobell

Watch the signing online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live

President Barack Obama will sign H.R.4783, the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, at the White House this afternoon.

The bill authorizes the $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit. Today's signing comes exactly a year after the deal was announced in Washington, D.C., on December 8, 2009.

Lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, will be at the ceremony. Sen. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Montana) are among the lawmakers expected to attend.

“This is historic legislation,” Dorgan said yesterday. “It not only closes the books on a shameful period of history for the federal government, it provides some long delayed justice to hundreds of thousands of Native Americans.”

The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 5:30pm Eastern time.

Cobell Settlement Documents:
• Agreement | Press Release | Q&A | Audio

Related Stories:
Obama to sign bill with Cobell settlement into law on Wednesday (12/6)
Column: A little justice for Indian land owners in trust settlement (12/6)
Column: Years of hard work end with settlement in Cobell lawsuit (12/6)
Elouise Cobell provides update on status of trust fund settlement (12/3)
Sen. Baucus to hold press conference in Montana for Cobell case (12/2)
Ken Salazar: Settlements fulfilling our promises in Indian Country (12/1)
CNC: Reaction from Elouise Cobell on final passage of settlement (12/1)
Cobell settlement heads to White House after clearing Congress (12/1)
House passes package with Cobell and tribal water settlements (11/30)
David Hayes: Settlements honor our pledges to First Americans (11/30)
Audio for White House conference call on Claims Settlement Act (11/29)
Editorial: House must take action to pass the Cobell settlement (11/29)
Editorial: Small slices of justice for Native American landowners (11/29)
Editorial: Indians in Montana benefit from claims settlement bill (11/29)
Elouise Cobell provides update about action on trust fund lawsuit (11/23)
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe chairman opposes Cobell settlement (11/23)
NPR: NCAI president discusses settlement of Indian trust lawsuit (11/23)
Editorial: Overdue justice for Indian landowners with settlement (11/23)
Senate finally approves $3.4B settlement for Indian trust lawsuit (11/22)
Congress heads back to DC with Cobell settlement still in limbo (11/15)
Sen. Tester worried about finding money to pay Cobell settlement (11/05)
Justice Department honors attorneys who work on Cobell case (10/27)
Cobell calls $3.5B settlement 'best we're going to get' in case (10/18)
Judge hopes for 'one last chance' for Congress to support Cobell (10/15)
Opinion: Time to pass Cobell and African-American settlements (10/08)
Elouise Cobell provides update about state of trust settlement (10/4)
Cobell worried about ties to African-American farmers lawsuit (10/4)
Cobell settlement changed to give more money to beneficiaries (10/1)
Elouise Cobell statement on lack of Senate vote for settlement (9/30)
Republican opposition kills vote on Cobell settlement in Senate (9/30)
Cobell probably not included in stopgap appropriations measure (9/28)
Cobell not included in bill for African-American farmer settlement (9/27)
Editorial: Time running out for Senate to act on Cobell settlement (9/24)
Marty Two Bulls: Something stinky about Cobell trust settlement (9/24)
John Boyd: Cobell lawsuit delaying African-American settlement (9/23)
African-American farmers don't want settlement linked to Cobell (9/22)
Shakopee Tribe awards $50K grant for Cobell case documentary (9/20)
White House asks Congress to fund $3.4B Cobell trust settlement (9/16)
Elouise Cobell: Sen. Barrasso needs to work for trust settlement (9/13)
Obama calls trust fund settlement 'priority' at press conference (9/13)