Statement of Senator Frank H. Murkowski

Senate Indian Affairs Committee

April 1, 1998 Markup of S. 1279, The Indian Employment, Training & Related Services Demonstration Act Amendments of 1998

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm glad that we're here today to improve one of the most successful programs run through the Department of Interior for the benefit of Alaska Natives and American Indians. After only a few years, it is clear that participating tribes and Alaska nonprofits have used the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 to increase job placements through reducing unnecessary, repetitive administrative costs in Indian and Alaska Native job development programs. I remind the committee that last year we received testimony that Cook Inlet Tribal Council has increased job placements by three-fold, from 500 to 1500 jobs. Both urban and rural tribal organizations in Alaska have told me that they strongly support this program.

This committee substitute for S. 1279 strengthens the original act by specifying that Johnson O'Malley and General Assistance dollars are available for use by participating tribes. It also places the program under the direction of the Office of Self-Governance. Alaska Native participants have asked me to make these changes, which they say are needed because the BIA has often blocked them from exercising their choices on how to spend the monies the Act makes available to them. I want to stress that this bill does not change a basic structural point, which is that tribes have the choice on which federal job training programs they want to include, or not include, in their "477" programs. This bill promotes Indian and Alaska Native Self Determination, which I would hope that the Department would support.

I thank Senator Campbell for his work on these amendments, and for including in S. 1279 several technical changes that I included in my bill, S. 1281. Most notably included is a provision that enables the Alaska participants to more effectively run their programs. I ask the committee to support this bill, and I hope we can have quick action on this bill in the House.