Budget hearing focuses on public safety funding in Indian Country

Monday, May 13, 2019  

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service got their turn. Now it's time for the Department of Justice to present its fiscal year 2020 budget to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

At an oversight hearing on Wednesday, the committee will take testimony from Matt Dummermuth, who heads up the Office of Justice Programs at DOJ. His formal title is Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General.

Dummermuth's work is of interest to the committee because his office oversees more than $5 billion in grants and other investments for tribal criminal, juvenile justice and victim services programs. In the past, Indian Country has seen few of those dollars in comparison to local and state governments.

The Trump administration's FY2020 request calls for $127.1 million for these programs in Indian Country, according to DOJ budget documents. That represents just 7 percent of the overall amount that goes to other governments.

There's a similar story for the Crime Victims Fund. The budget calls for tribes to receive $115 million, or just 5 percent of the overall amount, despite statistics showing high victimization rates among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

When other investments in the FY2020 request are included, the Trump administration says Indian Country will see $523 million for public safety initiatives, according to a budget document.

"Investments support activities across many DOJ components that address a range of issues facing Native American communities," the document states.

Dummermuth is the only witness for the portion of the hearing devoted to the budget. The remaining portion will focus on S.1211, the Addressing Underdeveloped and Tribally Operated Streets Act.

The bill, also known as the AUTOS Act, seeks to streamline existing federal procedures and funding mechanisms used to repair roads and bridges in Indian Country. Supporters say the changes will improve safety in tribal communities.

“With a backlog of at least $280 million of deferred maintenance, many tribal roads are in dire condition and need to be improved in a timely manner,” said Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

“That’s why we’ve introduced this legislation, which would help accelerate repairs for the many communities that use these roads and bridges on a daily basis,' Hoeven said. "As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize America’s surface transportation programs, we will work to ensure this priority is addressed.”

The oversight hearing and legislative hearing will take place immediately following a business meeting at 2:30pm Eastern on Wednesday. The witness list follows:

PANEL I – Oversight Hearing
MR. MATT M. DUMMERMUTH
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Office of Justice Programs
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C.

PANEL II – Legislative Hearing
MR. JOHN TAHSUDA III
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, DC

THE HONORABLE JAMIE AZURE
Chairman, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians
Belcourt, North Dakota

Continuation of the Oversight Hearing on “The President’s FY2020 Budget Request for Indian Programs” & Legislative Hearing to receive testimony on S. 1211 (May 15, 2019)

Justice Department Honors Tucson Lawyer For Transforming Victim Services in Indian Country (April 12, 2019)
Justice Department Awards $5.7 Million to Support Native American Crime Victims in Seven States (March 20, 2019)
Justice Department Awards the First $3.3 Million of up to $100 Million to Support Crime Victims in Native American Communities (March 13, 2019)
Justice Department Offers Stem Scholarships for American Indians and Alaska Natives (March 12, 2019)

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs focuses on public safety at field hearing (March 20, 2019)