Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) discusses Indian Country legislation on the floor of the U.S. Senate on December 17, 2024.

“The past four years have been historic for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs — by almost any measure,” said Schatz, who has served as chair of the legislative panel since January 2021.

“We secured the largest investment in Native communities in American history, totaling more than $45 billion,” Schatz continued. “We had the committee’s most productive four year period ever, passing more than a dozen bills into law, and just this month, we passed another ten bills in the Senate that are waiting for action in the House.”

“From day one, our work was guided by the voices of Native leaders and community members,” Schatz later said in his remarks. “Nothing about me, without me, as the saying goes.”

With Republicans taking control of the U.S. Senate in the 118th Congress, which starts in January 2025, Schatz will no longer be serving as chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. He is expected to serve as vice chair.