Indian Affairs Select Committee

Committee on Indian Affairs

Summary

Mission:  In 1977, the Senate re‑established the Committee on Indian Affairs, making it a temporary Select Committee (February 4, 1977, S. Res. 4, Section 105, 95th Congress, 1st Sess. (1977), as amended). The Select Committee was to disband at the close of the 95th Congress, but following several term extensions, the Senate voted to make the Committee permanent on June 6, 1984.

The Committee has jurisdiction to study the unique problems of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples and to propose legislation to alleviate these difficulties. These issues include, but are not limited to, Indian education, economic development, land management, trust responsibilities, health care, and claims against the United States. Additionally, all legislation proposed by Members of the Senate that specifically pertains to American Indians, Native Hawaiians, or Alaska Natives is under the jurisdiction of the Committee.
Source: Government Page

House counterpartsSUBCOMMITTEE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE UNITED STATES

Democratic Members (Majority):
Brian Schatz, Hawaii, Chair
Maria Cantwell, Washington
Jon Tester, Montana
Catherine Cortez Masto,Nevada
Tina Smith,Minnesota
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico

Republican Members (Minority):
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Vice Chair
John Hoeven, North Dakota
Steve Daines, Montana
Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma
Mike Rounds, South Dakota

Featured Video: 
Senator Lisa Murkowski Questions Alaskan Witness during Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing

OnAir Post: Indian Affairs Select Committee

News

i
Committee Press Releases and News

Majority Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.

Minority Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.

SCHATZ: HONORING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY A STEP TOWARD JUSTICE
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Democratic NewsOctober 11, 2021

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement on today’s celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Last week, President Biden issued a proclamation to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 2021.

“Indigenous peoples and their diverse communities, languages, and traditional knowledge systems enrich the fabric of our nation’s identity, contribute to our shared American history, and strengthen our scientific understanding of the world around us. Yet, there is an undeniable need to confront, examine, and address historic and ongoing injustices in Native communities,” said Chairman Schatz. “President Biden’s proclamation represents a true sea change in the federal government’s acknowledgement of these injustices and its role in responding to them. I look forward to continuing to work with the administration to uphold our trust and treaty responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians and empower Native communities with the resources they need to thrive.”

Murkowski’s Legislation Extending Native Children’s Commission Signed Into Law
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Republican NewsSeptember 29, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) today applauded S. 325, a bill to amend the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act to extend the deadline for a report by the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, and for other purposes, being signed into law by the President. Senator Murkowski introduced the bill in February 2021 with Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Jon Tester (D-MT) as co-sponsors to the bill.

“I appreciate the President for recognizing the importance of extending the reporting deadline for the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children. This is a win for Native children and communities across the country,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski. “The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the critical work by this Commission, so the extension that this legislation provides will be significant, allowing the active engagement of Tribes and giving the Commission adequate time to hold hearings and receive testimony from the public. With this law, the Commission can create a full report that will provide Congress and the Administration adequate information to implement policies that best support Native youth and their communities.”

Vice Chairman Murkowski Announces New Committee Staff
United States Senate Committee on Indian AffairsSeptember 7, 2021

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), welcomes additional staff to the Committee and provided the following statement.

 

“I am pleased that Amber Ebarb and Lucy Murfitt have transitioned over to the Committee. They provide a depth of knowledge and skill that will complement the Committee’s work to advance the lives of American Indian and Alaska Native people. Both women are familiar with the many issues affecting Indigenous peoples and I am confident they will serve the Committee and Indian Country exceptionally well,” said Vice Chairman Murkowski.

VIDEO: SCHATZ HIGHLIGHTS $20.5 BILLION FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES IN BUDGET RESOLUTION
United States Committee on Indian AffairsAugust 10, 2021

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, spoke on the Senate floor to highlight the significant funding for Native communities in the Budget Resolution being considered by the Senate.

 

“For far too long, historical underfunding of federal programs serving Native communities and Tribes has left them vulnerable… The budget reverses these systemic injustices through a $20.5 billion targeted investment,” said Chairman Schatz. “We have already made the biggest investment in Native communities in American history and we’re not done yet. The responsibility of the United States government to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians isn’t just for Democrats or Republicans to live up to. It’s a commitment that we all share. This budget resolution will empower these Native communities like never before.”

 

 

The full video of Senator Schatz’s remarks is available here.

About

Source: Government Website

HISTORY

Until 1946, when a legislative reorganization act abolished both the House and Senate Committees on Indian Affairs, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs had been in existence since the early 19th century. After 1946, Indian affairs legislative and oversight jurisdiction was vested in subcommittees of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate. While this subcommittee arrangement may not have specifically reflected a diminishment of the consideration given Indian affairs by the Congress, the revised arrangement historically coincided with a 20‑year hiatus in Indian affairs known as the “Termination Era” ‑‑ a period in which the prevailing policy of the United States was to terminate the Federal relationship with Indian tribes, including the transfer of jurisdiction over tribal lands to the states.

By the mid‑1960’s, this Termination philosophy was in decline as a failed policy and Congress began to include Indian tribes in legislation designed to rebuild the social infrastructure of the Nation and provide economic opportunities for economically‑depressed areas. In the early 1970’s, the Termination era was decisively ended with the enactment of the Menominee Restoration Act of 1973. Although a number of important legislative initiatives affecting Indians were enacted in the early 1970’s, it became clear that the existing subcommittee structure was not providing an adequate forum for legislating appropriate solutions to problems confronting Indian country. Legislative jurisdiction over Indian affairs was fragmented among a number of committees. Overall, more than 10 committees in Congress were responsible for Indian affairs, a situation which resulted in a sometimes disjointed treatment of Indian affairs and in an often haphazard development of Federal Indian policy.

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE

In 1973, Senator James Abourezk introduced Senate Joint Resolution No. 133 to establish a Federal commission to review all aspects of policy, law, and administration relating to affairs of the United States with American Indian tribes and people. The Senate and the House of Representatives both adopted S.J. Res. 133 and on January 2, 1975, the Resolution was signed into law by the President, thus establishing the American Indian Policy Review Commission (Commission) (Public Law 93‑580). As the work of this Commission progressed, it became readily apparent that a Senate committee with full legislative and oversight authority was needed to receive the report of the Commission and to act upon its recommendations. Indeed, one of the final recommendations of the Commission was that a full‑fledged Indian Affairs Committee be established in the Senate.

At the same time the Commission was formulating its recommendation for the establishment of an Indian Affairs Committee, the Senate was developing a far‑reaching proposal for reorganization of the entire Senate committee system. Under this proposal, the Subcommittee on Indian Affairs under the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs was to be abolished with its natural resource functions to be distributed among other newly formed Senate committees and its human resources functions to be transferred to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

In view of the pending report of the Commission and its anticipated recommendations, however, the Senate revamped its committee reorganization proposal to include the establishment of a temporary select committee to receive the Commission’s report and to act on its recommendations. Thus, there was included within Senate Resolution 4 of February 4, 1977, the Committee System Reorganization Amendments of 1977, a provision to establish a Select Committee on Indian Affairs with full jurisdiction over all proposed legislation and other matters relating to Indian affairs. With the commencement of the 96th Congress, the Select Committee on Indian Affairs was to expire and jurisdiction over Indian matters was to be transferred to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

As the Select Committee on Indian Affairs grappled with the report of the Commission and the many other Indian issues that were presented to it during the 95th Congress, it became increasingly evident that if the Congress was to continue to meet its constitutional, legal, and historical responsibilities in the area of Indian affairs, an ongoing legislative committee with adequate expertise and resources should be re‑established in the Senate.

Senate Resolution 405, to make the Select Committee on Indian Affairs a permanent committee of the Senate, was introduced by Senator Abourezk on February 22, 1978. The measure was amended by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to extend the life of the committee for two years until January 2, 1981, and was agreed to by the Senate on October 14, 1978. In the 96th Congress, Senator John Melcher, who was at the time Chairman of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced Senate Resolution 448 to make it a permanent committee. The Resolution had 28 cosponsors, and was reported by the Committee on Rules and Administration with an amendment to extend the Select Committee to January 2, 1984, and to expand the membership to seven members commencing in the 97th Congress. Senate Resolution 448 was adopted by the Senate on December 11, 1980.

PERMANENT COMMITTEE

On April 28, 1983, Senator Mark Andrews, Chairman of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs in the 98th Congress, introduced Senate Resolution 127 to make the Committee a permanent committee. This Resolution had 28 cosponsors. On November 1, 1983, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration voted unanimously to report the Resolution without amendment, and the Resolution was so reported on November 2, 1983 (S. Rept. 98‑294). On November 18, 1983, the last day of the first session of the 98th Congress, the Senate agreed to an extension of the Select Committee to July 1, 1984, in order to allow time for debate. By the time Senate Resolution 127 was brought to the floor for consideration there were 60 cosponsors. On June 4, 1984, the Select Committee on Indian Affairs was made a permanent committee of the Senate (S. Res. 127, 98th Cong., 2nd Sess.). In 1993, the Select Committee on Indian Affairs was re-designated as the Committee on Indian Affairs (‘ 25, S. Res. 71, 103rd Cong., 1st Sess.).

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

The number of members serving on the Committee has expanded since its formation in 1977. At the time the Committee was formed in the 95th Congress, there were five members. The membership remained at five in the 96th Congress, but grew to seven in the 97th Congress. The membership increased to nine in the 99th Congress, and by the 101st Congress, the Committee membership grew to 10. In the 102nd Congress, the membership of the Committee expanded to 16 members. A further increase occurred in the beginning of the 103rd Congress when the membership was expanded to 18. In the 104th Congress, the Senate only named 17 of its members to serve on the Committee, and elected Senator John McCain as Chairman and Senator Daniel K. Inouye as Vice‑Chairman. The Senate further amended the membership of the Committee to 16 later in the 104th Congress.

In the 104th Congress, the Senate agreed to amend again the membership of the Committee from 16 to 14 members. In the 107th Congress, the Senate appointed 15 members to the Committee. In May, 2001 Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent. At that time Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell relinquished the Chairmanship to become Vice Chairman of the Committee and Senator Inouye became Chairman.  In the 108th Congress, Senator Campbell re-assumed the Chairmanship and Senator Inouye served as Vice Chairman with 14 members on the Committee. In the 109th Congress, Senator McCain served as Chairman and Senator Byron L. Dorgan became Vice Chairman. In the 110th Congress, Senator Byron L. Dorgan became Chairman of the Committee and Senator Craig Thomas became Vice Chairman. Senator Thomas passed away on June 4, 2007. Senator Lisa Murkowski became Vice Chairman of the Committee on July 19, 2007, and served for the remainder of the Congress. Senator John Barrasso was added to the minority membership of the Committee to maintain the total membership of 15 for the 110th Congress. In the 111th Congress, Senator Dorgan continued to serve as Chairman of the Committee, and Senator Barrasso became Vice Chairman. Senators Crapo, Johanns and Franken joined the Committee in the 111th Congress. Committee membership remained at 15 in the 112th Congress. Senator Daniel K. Akaka served as Chairman of the Committee, and Vice Chairman Barrasso continued to serve in his position. Senator Hoeven was the only new member of the Committee.  Senator Maria Cantwell served as Chairwoman in the 113th Congress for one year, at which time she relinquished the Chairmanship to Senator Jon Tester in 2014, with Senator Barrasso remaining as Vice Chairman. In the 114th Congress, Senator John Barrasso served as Chairman of the Committee, and Senator Jon Tester became Vice Chairman. Senators John Hoeven and Tom Udall became Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively, in the 115th Congress. Senator Cortez Masto joined the Committee.


CURRENT AND FORMER CHAIRMEN OF THE COMMITTEE

 

Sen. John Hoeven(R-North Dakota)2017-Present
Sen. John Barrasso(R-Wyoming)2015-2017
Sen. Jon Tester(D-Montana)2014-2015
Sen. Maria Cantwell(D-Washington)2013-2014
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka(D-Hawaii)2011-2013
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan(D-North Dakota)2007-2011
Sen. John McCain(R-Arizona)2005-2007
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell(R-Colorado)2003-2005
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye(D-Hawaii)2001-2003
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell(R-Colorado)1997-2001
Sen. John McCain(R-Arizona)1995-1997
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye(D-Hawaii)1987-1995
Sen. Mark Andrews(R-North Dakota)1983-1987
Sen. William S. Cohen(R-Maine)1981-1983
Sen. John Melcher(D-Montana)1979-1981
Sen. James Abourezk(D-South Dakota)1977-1979

Web Links

Legislation

Bills

Source: Committee website

Hearings

Source: Committee website

More Information

Open Secrets webpages

Source: Open Secrets webpages

Discuss

OnAir membership is required. The lead Moderator for the discussions is James Lillard. We encourage civil, honest, and safe discourse. For more information on commenting and giving feedback, see our Comment Guidelines.

This is an open discussion on the contents of this post.

Home Forums Open Discussion

Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #8792
    Scott Joy
    Participant
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Skip to toolbar