{"id":121675,"date":"2025-02-24T14:33:35","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=121675"},"modified":"2025-02-24T20:44:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T02:44:18","slug":"house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-meets-for-oversight-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/24\/house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-meets-for-oversight-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs meets for oversight hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WTp7rgUMssI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/WTp7rgUMssI>Federal Indian Trust Asset Management: Progress Made But Improvement Needed &#8211; February 25, 2025<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs meets for oversight hearing<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, February 24, 2025<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"card border border-primary shadow-0\">\r\n<div class=\"card-body\">\r\n<div><strong>UPDATE<\/strong><\/div>\r\nThe hearing memo has been posted online. It contains the witness list for the hearing:\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u2022  Mr. Glen Gobin, Tribal Council Member, Tulalip Tribes, Tulalip, Washington<BR>\r\n\u2022 Ms. Amber Schulz-Oliver, Executive Director, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians,\r\nPortland, Oregon<BR>\r\n\u2022 Mr. Cody Desautel, President, Intertribal Timber Council, Portland, Oregon<BR>\r\n\u2022 The Hon. Guy Capoeman, President, Quinault Indian Nation, Taholah, Washington\r\n<p><\/p> [PDF: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/25\/hearing_memo_-_sub_on_iia_ov_hrg_on_fed_indian_trust_asset_reform_act_02.25.25.pdf\" title=\"hearing_memo_&#8211;_sub_on_iia_ov_hrg_on_fed_indian_trust_asset_reform_act_02.25.25\"> Hearing Memo<\/a>]\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/issues\/issue\/?IssueID=5066\">House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs<\/a> is holding its second hearing of the 119th Congress.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/calendar\/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=416931>oversight hearing on Tuesday afternoon<\/a> focuses on the federal government&#8217;s management of billions of dollars in <a href=https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/ost\/managing-indian-trust-assets>Indian trust assets<\/a>. Such assets can be held in trust for tribes, or for individual Indians.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;The federal government holds more than $8 billion in trust funds for Tribes and Individual Indian Money account holders,&#8221; the <a href=https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/>Government Accountability Office<\/a> said in an <a href=https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-23-105356>April 2023 report<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe GAO report &#8212;  titled &#8220;Tribal Programs: Actions Needed to Improve Interior&#8217;s Management of Trust Services&#8221;  &#8212;  was commissioned by Congress following the creation of the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/btfa>Bureau of Trust Funds Administration<\/a> (BTFA) at the <a href=https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/>Department of the Interior<\/a> at 2020. The new agency was assigned most of the duties previously handled by the <a href=https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/ost>Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians<\/a> (OST), which itself was established by the <a href=https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/103rd-congress\/house-bill\/4833>American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAccording to the GAO, the BTFA became &#8220;operational&#8221; in October 2020, toward the end of the first administration of President Donald Trump. The report stated that Interior &#8220;did not conduct strategic workforce planning before or during the transfer&#8221; of OST&#8217;s duties to the new agency.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;Furthermore, according to agency officials, Interior has not completed a full strategic workforce\r\nanalysis of OST since it first transferred the trust functions from BIA in 1996,&#8221; the GAO stated in reference to the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/>Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Billions of dollars from Tribes and individuals are held in trust funds managed by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Interior?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Interior<\/a>. We\u2019ve identified ways DOI could improve its management of trust services, such as workforce planning to ensure adequate staff. <br><br>Learn more: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tK9RjbQJZS\">https:\/\/t.co\/tK9RjbQJZS<\/a> (5\/6)<\/p>&mdash; U.S. GAO (@USGAO) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USGAO\/status\/1721547088679367130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAdditionally, the report stated that Interior had not yet begun the process to formally terminate the OST, as envisioned by 1994 law. The GAO was told that doing so might lead to a loss of federal funds &#8212; and that it  could place  the U.S. government in legal jeopardy.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;According to Interior\u2019s Office of the Solicitor, once OST is terminated, OST\u2019s appropriation may no longer be available for use by BTFA,&#8221; the GAO reported. &#8220;Without an appropriation for trust fund management, the United\r\nStates could potentially be in breach of its trust duties to Tribes and individual Indians, according to Interior\u2019s Office of the Solicitor.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nIn 2010, Congress enacted a <a href=https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/cobell>$3.4 billion settlement<\/a> to the <a href=\/cobell\/>historic lawsuit filed by the late Elouise Cobell<\/a> from the Blackfeet Nation. The case only addressed the federal government&#8217;s management of Individual Indian Money funds.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nSeparately, the federal government settled more than trust asset lawsuits filed by tribes  for a total of about $3.7 billion, <a href=https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/enrd\/natural-resources-section\/tribal-trust-case-settlements>according to Interior<\/a>.  The tribal and Cobell settlements were reached during the <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/rpF1rggyhto\">Barack Obama administration<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe hearing on Tuesday takes place at 2pm Eastern in Room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building. A witness list  hasn&#8217;t been posted on <a href=https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/calendar\/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=416931>naturalresources.house.gov<\/a> or on <a href=https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/Committee\/Calendar\/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=117844>docs.house.gov<\/a> as of Tuesday afternoon. Neither has a hearing memo.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/05\/house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-holds-first-hearing\/jeffhurd\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-116174\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" data-attachment-id=\"116174\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/05\/house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-holds-first-hearing\/jeffhurd\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/05\/jeffhurd-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1365\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Jeff Hurd\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Jeff Hurd&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colorado) is the new chair of the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs for the 119th Congress. Photo: &lt;a href=https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/199742285@N04\/54252584896\/&gt; House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/05\/jeffhurd-2.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/05\/jeffhurd-2.jpg\" alt=\"Jeff Hurd\" class=\"size-full wp-image-116174\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colorado) is the new chair of the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs for the 119th Congress. Photo: <a href=https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/199742285@N04\/54252584896\/> House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe subcommittee&#8217;s chair for 119th Congress is <a href=https:\/\/hurd.house.gov\/>Rep. Jeff Hurd<\/a> (R-Colorado). He is a new member of the <a href=https:\/\/www.house.gov\/>U.S. House of Representatives<\/a>, having won election in Colorado\u2019s 3rd congressional district in November 2024.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe subcommittee, which is part of the <a href=https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/>House Committee on Natural Resources<\/a>, held its first hearing on <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/07\/audio-legislative-hearing-on-h-r-410-h-r-412-h-r-504-h-r-741\/>February 5<\/a>. Lawmakers took testimony on <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/05\/house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-holds-first-hearing\/>four tribal bills<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Notice<\/div><a href=https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/calendar\/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=416931>Federal Indian Trust Asset Management: Progress Made But Improvement Needed<\/a> (February 25, 2025)\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/07\/audio-legislative-hearing-on-h-r-410-h-r-412-h-r-504-h-r-741\/\" title=\"AUDIO: Legislative Hearing on H.R.410, H.R.412, H.R.504 &#038; H.R. 741\">AUDIO: Legislative Hearing on H.R.410, H.R.412, H.R.504 &#038; H.R. 741<\/a> (February 7, 2025)<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/05\/house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-holds-first-hearing\/\" title=\"House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs holds first hearing\">House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs holds first hearing<\/a> (February 5, 2025)<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/01\/22\/house-committee-on-natural-resources-convenes-for-first-meeting\/\" title=\"House Committee on Natural Resources convenes for first meeting\">House Committee on Natural Resources convenes for first meeting<\/a> (January 22, 2025)<\/div><div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/01\/14\/house-subcommittee-on-indian-and-insular-affairs-gains-new-republican-leader\/\" title=\"House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs gains new Republican leader\">House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs gains new Republican leader<\/a> (January 14, 2025)<\/div>\r\n<img src=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08\/departmentoftheinterior-scaled.jpg width=0 height=0 class=invisible>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs is holding its second hearing of the 119th Congress, focusing on the federal government&#8217;s management of Indian trust assets.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,20,13,1,14],"tags":[5366,6031,214,1158,391,117,962,2125,400,170,346,118,75,1307,121,386,6030,4921,49,48,2124,5888,63,961,623,2652,314],"class_list":["post-121675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cobell","category-indian-trust","category-law","category-national","category-politics","tag-119th","tag-amber-schulz","tag-appropriations","tag-atni","tag-barack-obama","tag-bia","tag-btfa","tag-cody-desautel","tag-colorado","tag-congress","tag-dc","tag-doi","tag-donald-trump","tag-elouise-cobell","tag-employment","tag-gao","tag-glen-gobin","tag-guy-capoeman","tag-hnrc","tag-house","tag-itc","tag-jeff-hurd","tag-oregon","tag-ost","tag-quinault","tag-tulalip","tag-washington","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/08\/departmentoftheinterior-scaled.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-vEv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121675"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121792,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121675\/revisions\/121792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}