The Senate Indian Affairs Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee are holding a joint hearing on Thursday on S.1057, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2005.

Sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the bill reauthorizes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. It states the federal government's policy on Indian health.

The witness list is as follows:
Dr. Charles Grim, Director, Indian Health Service
Ms. Rachel Joseph, Chairperson, Lone-Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation, Lone Pine, CA and Co-Chair, National Steering Committee for the Reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
Mr. Don Kashaveroff, President, Seldovia Village Tribe, Seldovia, AK, President and Chairman, Alaska Native Health Tribal Consortium and Chairman, Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee
Mr. Richard Brannan, Chairman, Northern Arapaho Business Council, Fort Washakie, WY
Mr. Ralph Forquera, Executive Director, Seattle Indian Health Board, Seattle, WA
Dr. Mary Willard, D.D.S., Deputy Director, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Bethel, AK
Dr. Robert M. Brandjord, D.D.S., President-Elect, American Dental Association, Washington, DC

The hearing starts at 2:30pm and is being held in Senate Dirksen Room 430. A live broadcast link can be accessed at http://indian.senate.gov.

Separately, tribal leaders are holding a media briefing on Thursday to discuss the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The briefing takes place at 12:30pm in Senate Russell Room 485, the Indian Affairs Committee room.

The speakers are as follows:
Rachel Joseph, National Steering Committee for the Reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
Trudy Anderson, Executive Director, Alaska Native Health Board
Jacqueline Johnson, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians

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