Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Business Meeting to consider the Nomination of Mr. William Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior
Date: September 10, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM
Location: Dirksen
Room: 628

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs considers the nomination of William “Billy” Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs on September 10, 2025.

The committee voted 7-4, largely along party lines, to advance Kirkland’s nomination. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), the vice chair of the legislative panel, was the only Democrat who voted in support.

The nomination can now be sent to the full U.S. Senate for further action.

The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs position has been vacant since the start of the Donald Trump administration on January 20, 2025. Kirkland was nominated for the post on February 3, 2025.

Kirkland is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. He has worked on Republican political campaigns and affairs in is home state of Georgia.

Kirkland does not have an extensive background in Indian law or policy. He went before the committee for a nomination hearing on July 17, 2025.

Business Meeting to consider the Nomination of Mr. William Kirkland to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior & Oversight Hearing entitled “Unleashing Indian Energy – Examining Federal Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy” (September 10, 2025)