Witness list for Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on government shutdown

Indianz.Com > News > Witness list for Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on government shutdown

A star quilt hangs on the wall of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Indianz.Com

With the shutdown of the U.S. government entering its second month, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is holding an oversight hearing to consider the impacts on Native communities.

The hearing is titled “Impacts of Government Shutdowns and Agency Reductions in Force on Native Communities.” In addition to the government shutdown, the committee will look at the loss of federal employees at programs serving Native communities.

“It often takes years for the right relationships to be built,” Alaska Federation of Natives President Ben Mallott states in written testimony. “Simply put, reductions in workforce at both the regional and headquarters levels compromise the ability of federal agencies to meet their consultation obligations.”

“And during a shutdown — especially one as long as the current lapse in appropriations — there is essentially no path for our communities to engage in real discussions with agency personnel making key decisions affecting our livelihoods,” Mallott states. [PDF: Testimony of Ben Mallott / Alaska Federation of Natives]

The hearing takes place at 2pm Eastern in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. A webcast will be available at indian.senate.gov.

No federal officials are testifying at the hearing. The witness list follows:

The Honorable Sarah E. Harris [PDF: Testimony]
Vice Chairwoman / Secretary
United South and Eastern Tribes
Nashville, Tennessee

Mr. Ben Mallott [PDF: Testimony]
President
Alaska Federation of Natives
Anchorage, Alaska

Mr. Kerry Bird [PDF: Testimony]
Board President
National Indian Education Association
Washington, DC

Mr. Pete Upton [PDF: Testimony]
Native CDFI Network
Grand Island, Nebraska

Mr. A.C. Locklear [PDF: Testimony]
CEO
National Indian Health Board
Washington, DC

Federal funding for most programs serving tribes and their communities lapsed on October 1, 2025. The 119th Congress has been unable to pass appropriations bills to reopen the government.

The last government shutdown occurred during the first administration of President Donald Trump. At 35 days — from December 22, 2018, through January 25, 2019 — it was the the longest in history.

By the end of the current week, the ongoing shutdown will have lasted 31 days.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice

Oversight Hearing entitled “Impacts of Government Shutdowns and Agency Reductions in Force on Native Communities” (October 29, 2025)

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