The
Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs is once again taking a look at "high risk" programs that serve tribes and their citizens.
Just as President Donald Trump was about to take office in January 2017, the
Government Accountability Office placed Indian education, health and energy on its list of vulnerable programs. Since then, the committee has held two
hearings on the subject to determine if the administration is making progress in addressing shortcomings.
The answers so far have been mixed. The
Indian Health Service, for example, waited until the same week as the second hearing to announce it was
taking action to reduce patient wait times.
"It appears progress can only be made when Congress keeps the pressure on,"
Sen. Tom Udall (D-New
Mexico), the vice chairman of the
Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs, said last September.
Udall's committee is putting the pressure on the IHS, as well as the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, for a third time this week.
oversight hearing on Wednesday focuses on "turning around vulnerable" programs at the two agencies.
“These high-risk programs put the health and safety of Native Americans at risk,” said
Sen. John Hoeven
(R-North Dakota), the chairman of the panel.
The hearing takes place
immediately following a a business meeting at 2:30pm Eastern in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. A witness list has not yet been posted online.
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice:
Oversight Hearing on "GAO High Risk List: Turning Around Vulnerable Indian Programs"
(June 13, 2018)
Government Accountability Office Report:
Improving
Federal Management of Programs that Serve Tribes and Their Members (February
15, 2017)
Hearings on "High Risk" Indian Programs
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