Simpson Remarks at American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness (Day 1, Morning Session)

Good morning and welcome to the first of our public witness hearings dedicated to American Indian and Alaska Native programs. I would like to welcome all the distinguished Tribal elders and leaders here today.  For the second year in a row, we had an unprecedented number of requests, requiring us to extend our schedule to accommodate around 100 Tribes and Tribal organizations. 

These hearings are incredibly important, and we appreciate the opportunity to hear from so many Tribes and National and Regional Tribal organizations across Indian Country.  Indian Country has been and will continue to be a bipartisan priority for this subcommittee.

I look forward to continuing to work with Ranking Member Pingree to expand this subcommittee’s efforts to strengthen our federal commitment to honor our treaty and trust responsibilities with American Indians and Alaska Natives. Thank you for appearing before the Committee and sharing your concerns and perspectives on these important topics.