HAPPENING SOON: Udall to Press Trump Administration Witnesses on Bureau of Indian Education Response to COVID-19 During Indian Affairs Oversight Hearing
WASHINGTON—TODAY, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. MT, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, will press Trump administration witnesses on the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tribal schools.
During the oversight hearing, “Preparing to Head Back to Class: Addressing How to Safely Reopen Bureau of Indian Education Schools”, Udall and the committee will hear from two witness panels about BIE’s COVID-19 response. Udall will question BIE Director Tony Dearman about BIA missteps in responding to COVID-19 and ask witnesses about whether BIE schools and Tribal colleges have the resources they need to safely reopen or offer distance learning opportunities.
Prior to the oversight hearing, the committee also held a business meeting on 12 bills, including Udall’s Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019, legislation that would empower Tribes to enhance habitat connectivity on Tribal lands.
TODAY, July 29, 2020
WHAT: Udall to press Trump administration officials and Indian Health Service director on federal COVID-19 response in Indian Country.
WHO: U.S. Senator Tom Udall
- Tony Dearman, Director, Bureau of Indian Education
- Marita Hinds, President, National Indian Education Association
- Dr. David Yarlott, Chair, American Indian Higher Education Consortium
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. MT
WHERE: 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Watch live here.