“The Senate gave final approval Monday night to a deal, hustled through Congress in a spending bill, delaying for at least a year a judge’s order that the federal government conduct a full accounting of botched records of Indians dating back to 1887. Norton has estimated the accounting will cost between $6 billion and $12 billion….”
“The deal angered the plaintiffs, who have fought the Interior Department through two presidential administrations. They called it an end-run around a court decision in their favor, but they said that’s exactly why it won’t work.
Attorney Dennis Gingold said constitutional separation of powers prevents Congress from interfering in a lawsuit.
“It’s unconstitutional,” Gingold said. ‘It has about as much effect as a cup of Starbucks coffee.'”