Rep. Haaland and Rep. Davids land first committee assignments in 116th Congress

Thursday, January 17, 2019  

By Acee Agoyo

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Committee assignments are slowly trickling in for new members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the first two Native women in Congress have landed key spots.

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico) will serve on the House Committee on Armed Services. The assignment is personal for the Pueblo of Laguna citizen -- her father, who fought in the Vietnam War, spent 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

"I grew up in a military family and fully understand the sacrifices our service members and their loved ones endure in service to our country," Haaland said in a press release on Wednesday.

The assignment also speaks of the needs in Haaland's 1st Congressional District in New Mexico. It's home to important military and military-supporting facilities.

"I’m looking forward to supporting our military families and our district by ensuring the Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Labs have meaningful missions and the support to complete those missions through my role on the Armed Services Committee,” Haaland said.

I got my first committee assignment today! I'm honored to serve New Mexico on the House Armed Services Committee. @HASCDemocrats https://t.co/nHAsBOVBNG

— Congresswoman Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) January 16, 2019

Haaland is among several new Democratic members of the Armed Service Committee. She's also one of the relatively few freshman Democrats who have been informed of at least one assignment since the 116th Congress began on January 3.

Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), who is a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation was among those eagerly waiting for assignments earlier this week. On Thursday, she finally found out she will be joining the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The position taps into Davids' background. During her time as a White House fellow in 2016 and 2017, she worked at the Department of Transportation.

“This committee has jurisdiction over areas that touch every aspect of our lives - especially so in the Kansas City Metro area with its strategic position in our country’s heartland as a major transportation hub," Davids said in a press release on Thursday. "I look forward to working in a bipartisan way to advocate for much needed economic development and investment in our roadways, airport, railways, transit network, and local water infrastructure.”

A lot of people are asking. We'll share committee assignments as soon as we have them! https://t.co/MfRWc6640K

— Congresswoman Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) January 15, 2019

The slow roll-out of committee assignments hasn't kept Haaland and Davids from doing their jobs. Both took part in their first hearing on Tuesday in which they addressed the negative impacts of the government shutdown on Indian Country.

"Your historic presence here in this House is definitely going to change the dynamic that has needed to be changed for so long," Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California), the co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee said on Tuesday in reference to Haaland and Davids.

Haaland also participated in a forum on Wednesday that focused on border issues. Vice Chairman Verlon Jose of the Tohono O'odham Nation relayed his people's opposition to the placement of a physical wall on the homelands they have defended since time immemorial.

"We are homeland security," Jose told the Democratic members of the House Committee on Natural Resources "We'll always be homeland security."

Natural Resources includes the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs, which has jurisdiction over Indian Country issues in Congress. So far, Democrats haven't announced which freshman, such as Haaland and Davids, will be joining the panel.

Additional assignments for the two lawmakers are expected to be announced in the coming days but neither Haaland nor Davids landed seats on some of the most powerful committees in the House. Democrats named new members for Appropriations, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means last week and the two Native women weren't among those chosen.

Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas) and Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico), the first two Native women in the House of Representatives, are among the 130 women in Congress who were photographed by The New York Times for this "Redefining Representation" feature. https://t.co/3laCMGlxDK pic.twitter.com/5tSbgwFGCQ

— indianz.com (@indianz) January 14, 2019

On the Republican side of the aisle, the situation is looking a lot more certain for Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), who is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. Though his party is no longer in control of the House, he will be serving as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies within the Committee on Appropriations.

“I look forward to continuing to serve on the House Appropriations Committee,” Cole said in a press release on Wednesday. “While this era of divided government will continue to present challenges, I believe that we can still achieve conservative wins for the American people."

As a long-serving member of Appropriations, Cole has worked to protect Indian Country's funding from budget cuts. His role is being elevated there, as he was named vice ranking member for the entire committee.

“Tom Cole is not only an insightful member and effective communicator, he is a skilled and learned negotiator with a real talent for finding areas of agreement,” said Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), the top Republican on the panel.

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, also has a key assignment in Congress. He's retained a spot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

During the last session of Congress, Mullin used his position to protect the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. In the 116th, the very first bill he introduced was H.R.195, the Pay Our Doctors Act.

The bill, which enjoys bipartisan support, provides the Indian Health Service with advanced appropriations, a move that would protect the agency from government shutdowns. Tribal leaders and advocates embraced that idea during the Democratic forum on Tuesday.

“Congress needs to stop putting Native Americans’ health care in the crossfire of political spending fights,” Mullin said of his proposal. “The Indian Health Service is not only terribly underfunded, but it is one of the only health care agencies that doesn’t receive mandatory or advanced appropriations."

"Native Americans deserve quality, reliable health care services as promised in treaties with the federal government," Mullin added. "My bill, which would provide a stable source of funding for IHS through fiscal year 2019, is a good start.”

'We are homeland security': Tohono O'odham Nation demands role in border talks (January 16, 2019)
Solutions elusive for Indian Country as impasse in Washington drags on (January 15, 2019)
Recap: Indian Country shares #ShutdownStories as government impasse continues (January 15, 2019)
Tribes bring #ShutdownStories to Washington as funding impasse continues (January 14, 2019)
'Shameful': Congress fails to take action on missing and murdered Indigenous women (January 10, 2019)
'Recipe for disaster': The #TrumpShutdown and Indian Country (January 9, 2019)
Another Native woman -- a Republican -- launches bid for Congress (January 9, 2019)
Jenni Monet: Colonized newsrooms can't keep ignoring Indian Country (January 7, 2019)
Native women make history with seats in new Congress (January 4, 2019)
To Deb and Sharice: 'Ten Ways to Indigenize Congress' (January 4, 2019)
Recap: Indian Country celebrates Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland (January 4, 2019)
Recap: Pueblo women host traditional feast for Deb Haaland (January 4, 2019)