Senate Holds Hearing on Tribal Energy Programs, Committee Approves Nomination of Assistant Secretary for Interior
On September 10, 2025, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing to approve Billy Kirkland’s nomination to Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. Kirkland previously worked as an advisor to the Trump campaign and the White House. The committee voted 7-4 to approve his nomination. The nomination now heads to the full Senate for final approval.
The rest of the hearing focused on two tribal energy programs at the Department of Energy: the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, and the Loan Programs Office Tribal Energy Financing Program. While the Office of Indian Energy has funded more than 240 projects since 2010, the Loan Programs office has funded only one, despite having more than $20 billion in reserves.
Testimony from administration leaders discussed long-standing issues with the Loan Programs Office that make it almost impossible for tribes to access funding, including excessive fees and reporting requirements. Tribal loan applicants have reported that some loans have been under review for as long as two years. Some tribal governments have resorted to expensive private loans to cover the shortfall.
Department of Health and Human Services Surges Health Officers to Indian Country
On September 22, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is sending more than 70 officers from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to bolster Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities with the greatest staffing needs.
This is part of an initiative to reduce gaps in healthcare access, improve chronic disease management, and deliver culturally responsive care in partnership with tribal nations. Staffing vacancies at IHS have reached critical levels in recent years, with some facilities reporting 30% staffing shortfalls.
Senate Holds Hearing Commemorating 50 Years of Self-Determination
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) held a hearing on September 17 to commemorate 50 years of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (PL-638). Enacted in 1975, ISDEAA fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the United States government and tribal nations. Before its passage, federal agencies directly controlled most programs and services for Native communities, often with little regard for tribal input or sovereignty. ISDEAA empowered tribes by allowing them to contract with federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS).
ISDEAA has been amended multiple times since 1975 to serve the growing and changing needs of tribal nations. It has been expanded to new agencies, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture. Pilot programs promoting independence and flexibility continue.
National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools
September 30 is the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools. This day commemorates the survivors and victims of the Indian Boarding School system. Indian boarding schools, which operated in the United States from the 1800s through much of the 20th century, was designed to assimilate Native children by forcibly removing them from their families and erasing their cultural identities. Thousands of children were sent to church and government-run schools and prohibited from speaking their languages or practicing their traditions. Many endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. This legacy affects Native communities today, contributing to intergenerational trauma and cultural loss.
Current legislation in Congress—the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act (S.761)—seeks to formally investigate this history. The bill would create a commission to document the scope and impact of the boarding school era, gather testimony from survivors, and make recommendations for federal accountability and tribal-led healing efforts. FCNL has been lobbying for the legislation for several years. This month, we participated in a lobby effort with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS). FCNL staff also supported a recent NABS vigil for the victims and survivors of Indian Boarding Schools.
Faithful Advocacy for Justice
Learn more about legislative opportunities for the Truth and Healing Commission in an upcoming network call! We will share details about this legislation as well as how Congress can stop military escalations against Venezuela. Join us Thursday, October 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
What We’re Reading
- ‘Always In Our Hearts’: September is an Important Month for Boarding School Survivors | Indian Country Today
- Why Erasing Native Stories From Our Parks and Public Lands Hurts All Americans | Native News Online
- What Native-Held Lands in California Can Teach About Resilience and the Future of Wildfire | The Conversation
- Prairie Island Indian Community Welcomes Home Ancestral Remains | MPRNews
