WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 21, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, will join Committee Chairman John Hoeven (R-N.D.) in leading a business meeting to consider two bills, including Udall and Hoeven’s bipartisan S. 2515, the Practical Reforms and Other Goals to Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination (PROGRESS) for Indian Tribes Act. Following the business meeting, Udall will also join Hoeven in leading an oversight hearing on President Trump’s fiscal year 2019 budget request for Indian programs.
This month, Udall and Hoeven introduced the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) and promote Tribal self-governance.
During the oversight hearing, Udall will question administration officials on the president’s deep proposed cuts to Indian programs. Udall has said that the president’s budget “once again shows this administration’s disregard for the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to provide basic services to Native Americans.”
Witnesses will include:
John Tahsuda, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior
Rear Admiral Michael Weahkee, Acting Director, Indian Health Service
Jefferson Keel, President, National Congress of American Indians
Lynn Malerba, Secretary, United South and Eastern Tribes – Sovereignty Protection Fund
The committee will vote on the following bills:
– S. 2515, the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act
– S. 1250, the Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2017
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
WHAT: Udall to preside as vice chairman at Indian Affairs business meeting and oversight hearing
TIME: Approximately 12:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Watch live here.
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