Salazar v. Ramah Navajo Chapter

Linked with:

• 11-83

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
11-551	10th Cir.	Apr 18, 2012 Tr.Aud.	TBD	TBD	TBD	OT 2011

Issue: Whether the government is required to pay all of the contract support costs incurred by a tribal contractor under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. § 450 et seq., where Congress has imposed an express statutory cap on the appropriations available to pay such costs and the Secretary cannot pay all such costs for all tribal contractors without exceeding the statutory cap.

Plain English Issue: When Congress has authorized Native American tribes to take over federal programs from the government and receive reimbursement, but it has also capped the amount of money that can be spent for costs to administer and support the contracts for those federal programs, must a tribe still be fully reimbursed for its costs, or should the federal government instead divide the available funds among the tribes, even if that means that the tribes will receive less than their full costs?

SCOTUSblog Coverage

• Argument recap: How to undo a dumb thing?
• Argument preview: Are Congress's spending caps binding?
• This week’s grants: In Plain English
• Two new cases granted

Briefs and Documents

Merits Briefs for the Petitioners

• Brief for Ken Salazar et al.
• Reply for Ken L. Salazar et al.

Merits Briefs for the Respondents

• Brief for Ramah Navajo Chapter, et al.

Amicus Briefs in Support of the Respondents

• Brief for the Artic Slope Native Association, LTD 
• Brief for the Chamber of Commerce of the United States and the National Defense Industrial Association 
• Brief for the National Congress of American Indians et al.

Certiorari-stage documents

• Opinion below (10th Cir.)
• Petition for certiorari
• Brief in opposition (forthcoming)
• Petitioner's reply