Politics

Republicans take control of House with new leaders on key panel

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Republicans formally took control of the House on Tuesday, ushering in a new political environment for the 112th Congress.

The House Natural Resources Committee is now in the hands of Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Washington). The committee has jurisdiction over Indian bills.

Hastings doesn't have a particularly strong record on tribal matters. In the 111th Congress, he tried to change the terms of the Cobell settlement, opposed the inclusion of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in the national health reform bill, objected to the way the Tribal Law and Order Act was passed and opposed a bill to fix the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar

In his new leadership role, Hastings has created a Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs. It will be chaired by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who has a much stronger record on Indian issues, including support for tribal gaming.

Young was a co-sponsor of the IHCIA in the 111th Congress although he did not vote for bill as part of the national health care reform act. He was one of the 78 Republicans who voted for the Tribal Law and Order Act, which was included in another Indian bill.

Historically, Young is one of the few Republicans who have supported tribal recognition bills, including one for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, which did not make it into law in the last Congress.

Get the Story:
A changing of the gavel as 112th Congress is sworn in (The Washington Post 1/6)
Taking Control, G.O.P. Overhauls Rules in House (The New York Times 1/6)