Latest news with #SenateIndianAffairsCommittee
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico Sen. Luján: Trump administration blocking nearly $316 billion for tribes
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján continued to sound the alarm this week on the Trump administration's decision to block hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds for programs that focus on health, education and other services in Native American communities. A day after questioning the impacts of potential cuts to early childhood, maternal health and other programs for Indigenous people during a meeting of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the New Mexico Democrat on Thursday blasted the administration of Republican President Donald Trump. 'The Trump administration is illegally withholding hundreds of billions of dollars owed to communities across the country — including nearly $316 billion owed to Native communities — just to hand out more tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporate interests,' Luján, a member of the committee, said in a statement. Luján called the matter a 'profound betrayal' and 'shameful failure' of the federal government's responsibility to tribes and said, 'This reckless decision puts the well-being and safety of New Mexicans and tribal nations at risk.' Aaron Lopez, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, also expressed concern over new federal policies that will disrupt services and programs for Native Americans in New Mexico's 23 tribes, impacting education, health care, infrastructure and economic development. 'The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department and the State are keeping a close eye on federal actions that could adversely affect Indian Country,' Lopez said in a statement. The department will continue to work closely with New Mexico's congressional delegation to advocate for Indigenous people in the state, he added. Luján's pointed statement, based on a tracker of federal funds compiled by the Democratic staffs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, comes as Democrats continue to assail Trump and his administration amid a vast array of federal funding cuts, planned or otherwise, in Trump's first 100 days in office. Luján and other members of New Mexico's all-Democratic congressional delegation have been raising concerns about the cuts and how they affect regular New Mexicans since Trump took office. In February, Luján and 110 other members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, New Mexico's senior senator, signed a letter to Trump and other high-ranking members of his administration asking the president to 'immediately halt and reverse the harmful impacts of executive actions' impacting programs for Indigenous people. During Wednesday's Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which held a hearing to examine federal programs under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that serve Native Americans, Luján questioned the Trump administration's commitment to Indigenous communities. 'I want to point out what a disappointment I believe this administration has been to the Indian Health Service,' he said, adding Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. missed an opportunity during his recent visit to Gallup in northwestern New Mexico to stop at one of the oldest Indian Health Service centers and see firsthand the staffing cuts, water issues and other problems impacting Native patients and providers. 'The way that I was raised is you make time for what's important,' Luján said, 'and he didn't make time.' The Health and Human Services Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Luján also questioned witnesses about cuts to early childhood and maternal health programs. 'We all care greatly for Native American mothers and babies, which is why I'm outraged by the fact that 92% of Native American women that die from pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable,' he said. 'Just let that sit for a second and that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has seen a 20% reduction in staffing, leaving more vulnerabilities out there.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whip watch: Dick Durbin gives tearful goodbye as Dem power play begins for No. 2 Senate spot
With the upcoming departure of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in 2026, a battle will soon commence for his coveted role as Senate minority whip, the second-highest leadership role in the caucus next to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. "There comes a point in your career when the torch must be passed, and I've reached that point," Durbin said during a press conference in Springfield Thursday. "I will not be seeking re-election to this United States Senate seat." Several names have already been floated for the whip job, including some typically vocal senators and others whose quiet policy chops appear just as attractive. One candidate mentioned has been Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz. Zeldin Grilled By Democrats On Climate Change, Trump's Stance On Carbon Emissions During Epa Hearing Schatz, 52, is in his third term and is Durbin's current chief deputy whip as well as deputy conference secretary, a job involving communication and strategy for Senate Democrats. Read On The Fox News App He is also the top Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, given the Aloha State's heavy native population. Schatz has been active behind the scenes for liberals, placing holds on hundreds of Trump nominees for State Department positions in response to the president's efforts to shutter USAID. A former member of the Green Party in Hawaii, he is also considered a bridge between progressives and mainstream liberals. A former top aide to previous Senate mainstays Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told The Hill it's hard to tell how leadership elections will go because they're closed-door votes, but "as far as I can tell, Sen. Schatz seems to be in a pretty good position if he wants to take the leap." Dick Durbin, No 2 Senate Democrat, Won't Seek Re-election Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is rumored to be a possible successor to Durbin as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Politico. Whitehouse has raised his profile as another one of President Donald Trump's loudest critics, regularly creating viral clips of combativeness with administration nominees in the various hearings he's sat in on. Another lawmaker mentioned is Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who had been third in line to the presidency until the GOP took back the Senate. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., now holds that role, which is typically held by the longest-serving senator of the majority party. Murray is also the top Democrat on the influential Senate Appropriations Committee. Frequently called the "mom in tennis shoes" who ran for the Senate in 1992 as a relative political newcomer, Murray once said she and others "got into the U.S. Senate because we were mad." She lobbied officials in Olympia to save an education program from budget cuts when she was told "you can't make a difference," according to a biography from the Washington Secretary of State's office. That populist history, along with Murray's long tenure and closeness with leadership, could also make her a lock to succeed Durbin. Fox News Digital reached out to Schatz, Whitehouse and Murray for comment but did not immediately hear back. Durbin spoke tearfully about his decision to retire during a press conference outside the same Springfield home where he announced his first Senate run nearly 30 years ago. He hearkened back to his risky move to give up a "safe House seat." "So, for the last 29 years, I've been vindicated that that decision paid off," said Durbin. "I love this job. I think it's a terrific job, but I also know reality."Original article source: Whip watch: Dick Durbin gives tearful goodbye as Dem power play begins for No. 2 Senate spot
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Whip watch: Dick Durbin gives tearful goodbye as Dem power play begins for No. 2 Senate spot
With the upcoming departure of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in 2026, a battle will soon commence for his coveted role as Senate minority whip, the second-highest leadership role in the caucus next to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. "There comes a point in your career when the torch must be passed, and I've reached that point," Durbin said during a press conference in Springfield Thursday. "I will not be seeking re-election to this United States Senate seat." Several names have already been floated for the whip job, including some typically vocal senators and others whose quiet policy chops appear just as attractive. One candidate mentioned has been Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz. Schatz, 52, is in his third term and is Durbin's current chief deputy whip as well as deputy conference secretary, a job involving communication and strategy for Senate Democrats. He is also the top Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, given the Aloha State's heavy native population. Schatz has been active behind the scenes for liberals, placing holds on hundreds of Trump nominees for State Department positions in response to the president's efforts to shutter USAID. A former member of the Green Party in Hawaii, he is also considered a bridge between progressives and mainstream liberals. A former top aide to previous Senate mainstays Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told The Hill it's hard to tell how leadership elections will go because they're closed-door votes, but "as far as I can tell, Sen. Schatz seems to be in a pretty good position if he wants to take the leap." Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is rumored to be a possible successor to Durbin as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Politico. Whitehouse has raised his profile as another one of President Donald Trump's loudest critics, regularly creating viral clips of combativeness with administration nominees in the various hearings he's sat in on. Another lawmaker mentioned is Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who had been third in line to the presidency until the GOP took back the Senate. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., now holds that role, which is typically held by the longest-serving senator of the majority party. Murray is also the top Democrat on the influential Senate Appropriations Committee. Frequently called the "mom in tennis shoes" who ran for the Senate in 1992 as a relative political newcomer, Murray once said she and others "got into the U.S. Senate because we were mad." She lobbied officials in Olympia to save an education program from budget cuts when she was told "you can't make a difference," according to a biography from the Washington Secretary of State's office. That populist history, along with Murray's long tenure and closeness with leadership, could also make her a lock to succeed Durbin. Fox News Digital reached out to Schatz, Whitehouse and Murray for comment but did not immediately hear back. Durbin spoke tearfully about his decision to retire during a press conference outside the same Springfield home where he announced his first Senate run nearly 30 years ago. He hearkened back to his risky move to give up a "safe House seat." "So, for the last 29 years, I've been vindicated that that decision paid off," said Durbin. "I love this job. I think it's a terrific job, but I also know reality."
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Murkowski: ‘We're not going to let tribal programs suffer'
Stewart HuntingtonICT The Trump administration's moves to dramatically cut government spending have left much of Indian Country on edge, with tribal communities dependent on billions of dollars in federal funding and the Republican majorities in Congress largely standing by the president. Effective voices for tribes in the nation's capital can seem elusive. But don't tell that to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. 'We've got to figure out a way to work with the folks in the administration,' she told ICT. 'We're not going to let our tribal programs and our tribal citizens suffer.' SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM. Last year, $32.6 billion was approved by Congress to benefit tribal communities for programs including education, health care, law enforcement and more, according to the U.S. General Accounting Office. Murkowski emerged at the dawn of President Donald Trump's second term in office as a vocal advocate for Native nations when Trump began announcing cuts and executive orders impacting tribal communities. On his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump signed an executive order eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – DEI – programs in federal agencies. 'I worked very, very quickly to make sure that the administration knew that …the DEI executive order should have nothing to do with tribes or tribal programs [because] the relationship that the government has with tribes is based on political status, not on racial status,' Murkowski said. Another Day One executive order also riled Murkowski, who has been elected to the Senate four times. Trump ordered that the name of the country's tallest mountain, Alaska's Mount Denali, be renamed Mount McKinley after the country's 25th president. 'We feel very strongly in Alaska about the Koyukon-Athabascan name that was given to Denali, generations, centuries ago,' Murkowski said. 'Denali means, 'the Great One.' And if you've ever seen this extraordinary mountain, you would agree that it should be named the Great One. It should be recognized as Denali.' Murkowski has introduced a bill in the Senate — co-sponsored by Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan — that would officially name the peak Denali. Last month, both chambers of the Alaska State Legislature passed a resolution urging the president, secretary of the interior, and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to maintain the name Denali. Pondering the current kerfuffle, Murkowski said she found it 'interesting' that the president's order renaming the mountain is titled, Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.' 'Let's think about 'American greatness,'' she said. 'Why would we not want to honor and recognize the greatness of the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this area, this region, this land for centuries? … It is important not only to maintain the traditional name that the Athabascan people have given this mountain but also, respect the Native people and the stewardship that they have had in this region.' Last week, Murkowski's committee unanimously approved and sent to the full Senate 25 bills that are 'very keen priorities' in all or parts of Indian Country, including land and water rights in tribal communities and a bill that would establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian boarding school policies. The bill creating the Truth and Healing Commission would establish a panel to 'formally investigate, document, and report on the histories of Indian Boarding Schools … and the systematic and long-term effects of those schools and policies on Native American peoples.' The bill passed the Senate last year but stalled in the House of Representatives. The push for the commission is now on the agenda for the current 119th Congress. 'As much as anything, we're trying to rebuild some of the trust that has been lost between our federal government and Native communities,' Murkowski said. It's a fragile trust that is under pressure in the current environment of fast-paced budget cuts, Murkowski said. 'I'm worried that when it comes to our tribal programs and our ability to see them implemented that the cuts [and] staffing in these programs, will jeopardize our ability to do so and cause damage to that very important trust relationship,' she said. 'It's still too early to determine whether or not these cuts are going to stay in place,' she said, adding, 'I'm not backing down on this.' Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter. ICT, formerly Indian Country Today, is a nonprofit news organization that covers the Indigenous world with a daily digital platform and news broadcast with international viewership.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Native leaders call on Senate committee to fulfill trust responsibilities
Kalle BenallieICT The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing Wednesday to hear from leaders of Indigenous organizations about issues that are the most important to them so the committee can decide what Native policy issues to prioritize. Newly installed Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski began the hearing by addressing how the Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget directives have affected federal funding for tribes and tribal programs. She said she has spoken to the new administration and the president's nominees. 'We've sent a letter to OMB urging them to acknowledge that tribes have a unique political status and to clarify across the federal government that as the administration carries out its initiatives, it does so in a way that respects this unique political status and the federal government's responsibility to Native people,' Murkowski said. Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of American Indians and chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians, said federal funding should continue to be allocated for tribes and tribal programs, including for Indian Health Services' staffing and public safety and justice programs. 'Reduction to an already short-staffed health care provider does not honor the legal and political obligations made to tribal nations, it puts lives at risk, ' Macarro said. 'We thank Congress for its recent steps to strengthen its treaty and trust obligations through its continued support of IHS advanced appropriations. However, reducing healthcare professionals that serve our citizens and communities is a step in the wrong direction.' Macarro urged the passing of HR741 to elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health. William Smith, chairperson and Alaska area representative of the National Indian Health Board, told the committee that Congress needs to fund Indian Health services and honor federal responsibilities of Native healthcare if Medicare should be reformed. Smith, Valdez Native Tribe, said it is important for Congress to strengthen tribal behavioral health programs, traditional healing services, and maternal and infant services. 'We stand ready to work with this committee on this endeavor. In conclusion, the federal government made promises in the tribal treaties to provide for, among other things, healthcare of tribal citizens,' Smith said. Rodney Butler, board president of the Native American Financial Officers Association and chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, told the committee that tribal governments need to be considered as states for key tax purposes and Congress should address tribal tax parity legislation, providing tribal governments full parity with state and local governments in accessing tax-exempt bond financing. He also stressed the need for creation of an annual $175 million in new market tax credits for low-income tribal communities. 'It is important to mention that tribally owned entities under the umbrella of the tribal government are critical to create jobs and to supplement funding for tribal programs that are underfunded in the federal government, ' Butler said. Butler said the Treasury Department's Office of Tribal and Native Affairs should be made permanent and the Tribal Treasury Advisory Committee also should be continued. 'These entities are essential partners for tribal governments and their business entities. They allow for efficient and effective consultation and communication and ensuring that tribes can access tax incentives and economic development tools, " Butler said. Kerry Bird, board president of the National Indian Education Association, told the committee that Congress needs to affirm the political status of Native students, provide consistent and adequate funding, expand tribal self-governance in education, provide culturally relevant early childhood education programs and to improve Bureau of Indian Education facilities. 'Members of the committee, the stakes are high. By supporting Native education, you're not only investing in the future of our youth but also strengthening the resilience and sovereignty of tribal nations and ultimately the success of the United States,' said Bird, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and Lumbee. Kūhiō Lewis, chief executive officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, said Congress needs to include Native Hawaiians in programs like the Office of Indian Energy and should also increase the funding of the American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act for Native Hawaiians to remain on their homelands. He also stressed the importance of Native Hawaiian education funds. 'What we're asking for is for the continued recognition and support of our Native Hawaiian people and Hawaii, and we'll do our part to continue to support our people,' Lewis said. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute $5 or $10 today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter!
