Politics
Hearings on reorganization, self-governance bill


The House Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and expansion of the Office of Special Trustee this morning.

Principal deputy assistant secretary Aurene Martin and Special Trustee Ross Swimmer are expected to testify. Several tribal leaders, including Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota and chairman of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association, are on the witness list as well.

Also today, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on S.1715, the Department of Interior Tribal Self Governance Act of 2003. Assistant secretary Dave Anderson is expected to testify at this hearing, although Interior officials could not confirm this as of yesterday evening.

The House hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Longworth House Office Building, Room 1324. An audio-only link can be found at http://resourcesaudio.house.gov/1324.

The Senate hearing will take place in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building. A video link should be available at http://indian.senate.gov.

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