mr. chairman , i am a strong supporter of tribal sovereignty but rise in reluctant opposition to this amendment because it has not been subject to full debate in committee or the house . 
i would like to articulate the importance of tribal sovereignty . 
because indian tribes are sovereign governments , the u.s. government has long read the commerce clause and the 11th amendment as upholding the sovereign immunity of tribes . 
congress 's intent in preserving sovereignty has been recognized even recently ; in 1991 , in oklahoma tax common v. potawatomi tribe , the supreme court reaffirmed the long-standing existence and importance of tribal sovereignty : in light of this court 's reaffirmation , in a number of cases , of its longstanding doctrine of tribal sovereign immunity , and congress ' consistent reiteration of its approval of the doctrine in order to promote indian self-government , self-sufficiency , and economic development , the court is not disposed to modify or abandon the doctrine [ of sovereign immunity ] . 
tribal sovereignty is and should remain one of the fundamental principles of the united states , and we should not define its parameters in a ten minute debate . 
