The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is undertaking several key actions this month to advance policies and oversight related to Indian Country.
Draft Legislative Package. On August 1, 2025, Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released a draft legislative package designed to strengthen support for Native children and families. The proposal, built upon recommendations from “The Way Forward” report by the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, addresses child welfare, justice, healthcare, housing, education, child care, and data infrastructure. Public input on this discussion draft is being solicited through September 12, 2025, and comments may be submitted via email to Murkowski_Outreach@Indian.Senate.Gov. More information can be found here.
Business Meeting (Kirkland Nomination) and Oversight Hearings (Indian Energy and ISDEAA). In addition to advancing legislation, the Committee is preparing for two oversight hearings this month, both to be held at 2:30 PM in Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628, as well as streamed online. On September 10, 2025, there will be a business meeting to consider the nomination of Mr. William “Billy” Kirkland for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior, followed by a hearing titled “Unleashing Indian Energy – Examining Federal Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy.” Mr. Kirkland, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, previously testified before the Committee on July 17, 2025, where he was questioned on existing challenges at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), including the probate backlog, public safety issues, staffing reductions within the BIA, and long-term underfunding of Indian Country programs. More information on the upcoming hearing can be found here.
The following week, on September 17, 2025, the Committee will convene an oversight hearing on “Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Successes and Opportunities at the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service.” This hearing will reflect on the 50th anniversary of the landmark Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and explore how its provisions continue to shape self-governance and service delivery in Indian Country. More information can be found here.
