WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Rick Sylestine, chairman of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Tribal Council, from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on funding requests: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, Chairman Cole, and Ranking Member DeLauro, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. On behalf of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, I wish to address several matters of great importance to our T more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Conrad Jacket, member of the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board Inc., from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget: * * * Thank you, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Pingree, and respected members of the Committee for the opportunity to provide this written testimony on behalf of the member tribes of the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, Inc. (AAIHB). AAIHB acknowledges and appreciates  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Blackfeet Tribal Business Councilman Michael Comes at Night, Montana, from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on funding requests: * * * Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today regarding the need to adequately fund the Blackfeet Nation's Law Enforcement, Tribal Court, and Transportation Road Department. My name is Michael Comes At Night, and I serve on the Bl more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following written testimony by Congressional Budget Office Director Phillip L. Swagel from a March 18, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the Congressional Budget Office's budget request. CBO requests appropriations of $76.3 million for fiscal year 2027 (see Figure 1). Most of that amount--85 percent--would be for p more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, and members of the Interior Appropriations subcommittee: Osiyo. On behalf of the citizens of Cherokee Nation, I thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts on the fiscal year 2027 appropriations  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Cody Shambo, Mountain Gros Ventre representative of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations requests: * * * Chair Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 prioritie more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following written testimony by Orice Williams Brown, acting comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office, from a March 18, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chair Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee: I appreciate the opportunity to discuss GAO's fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request. GAO's mission is to support Congress in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities and improve go more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House Chief Administrative Officer Anne M. Dressendorfer Binsted from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the U.S. House of Representatives has submitted a Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request for $253,060,000 - $19.8 million (8.5 percent) over its FY26 budget. 20 percent of the requested increase is for new, high-priority projects and fund more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House Clerk Kevin F. McCumber from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee: It is my pleasure to testify on behalf of the Office of the Clerk and our fiscal year 2027 budget request. First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your support over the last year. Your fulfillment of our fiscal year 2026 budget request more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House General Counsel Matthew Berry from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify about the fiscal year 2027 ("FY 2027") budget request of the Office of General Counsel ("OGC") of the U.S. House of Representatives ("House"). OGC requests $2,120,000 for FY 2027, a sum that includes $1,884, more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House Inspector General Christen Janell Stevenson from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request for the Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. House of Representatives. The OIG respectfully requests $6,361,000 to support its oversight program an more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House Law Revision Counsel Brian Lindsey from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Mister Chairman, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to present the budget request of $4,085,000 for the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (Office) for Fiscal Year 2027. The Office was established in the House of Representatives by section 205 more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House Legislative Counsel Warren Burke from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriation request: * * * Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the fiscal year 2027 appropriation request of $19,202,000 for the Office of the Legislative Counsel (Office). I am pleased and honored to appear before you today in my capacity as the Legislative Cou more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch released the following testimony by House Sergeant at Arms William P. McFarland from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Good morning Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Committee. I appreciate the invitation to appear before you today to testify in support of the fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request for the Office of the Sergeant at Arms (SAA), which totals $147,281,000 and 211 full-time equivalents (FTEs) more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Chairman Jacob Keyes from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 priorities of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma. My name is Jacob Keyes.  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Muscogee (Creek) Nation Ambassador Jonodev Chaudhuri from a March 17, 2026, hearing on funding requests: * * * On behalf of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN), thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony at the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. Affording Tribal Nations the platform to share feedback and suggestions for improvement over the ann more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Robyn Sunday-Allen, president-elect of the National Council of Urban Indian Health, from a March 17, 2026, hearing on funding requests: * * * My name is Robyn Sunday-Allen. I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the President-Elect of the National Council of Urban Indian Health, a national representative advocating for the Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) contracting with the Indian Health more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by National Indian Health Board CEO A.C. Locklear from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations for the Indian Health Service: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and the distinguished members of this Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS). On behalf of the National Indian Heal more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Native Forward Scholars Fund CEO Angelique Albert from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 funding requests: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on funding priorities for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). My name is Angelique Albert, and I serve as the CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund. I am here today to p more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Navajo Nation President Buu V. Nygren from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriation requests: * * * Yá'át'ééh, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Subcommittee. My name is Dr. Buu Nygren, President of the Navajo Nation ("Nation"). The Nation is one of the largest Native American tribes in the country. We provide critical governmental services to more tha more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Aaron Hines, board chair of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health, and CEO of the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 Indian Health Service budget: * * * Chair Simpson and Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Subcommittee. My name is Aaron Hines and I serve as Chair of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB), and the Chief Executive more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on fiscal 2027 budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service: * * * Recommendations: 1. Reset our base funding for Law Enforcement and fully fund our Law Enforcement at the level of need identified in the Tribal Law and Order Act reports. 2. Provide $73 billion to the I more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Charles Riley from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 funding requests: * * * Recommendations: 1. DOI - Funding moratorium for energy leasing in the Greater Chaco Region. 2. DOI - Support funding for Indian Water Rights Settlements. 3. DOI - $3 million for implementation of the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act. 4. BIA - Increased funding for Native Am more PR

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Quinault Indian Nation President Guy Capoeman from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on funding requests: * * * Good afternoon, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify before you today. As you know, my name is Guy Capoeman, and I am honored to serve as the duly elected President of the Quinault Indian Nati more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Teresa Sanchez, board president of the Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health Inc., Grand Terrace, California, from a March 17, 2026, hearing on funding requests: * * * Good afternoon, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and members of the Subcommittee. I am Teresa Sanchez, Tribal representative for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and President of the Board for Riverside-San Bernardin more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. James Naranjo from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 funding requests: * * * Thank you, Chairperson Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share Santa Clara Pueblo's funding priorities for the FY 2027 federal budget. My name is James Naranjo, and I am the Governor of Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. As discussed further b more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Esther Lucero, board president and CEO of Seattle Indian Health, from a March 17, 2026, hearing on funding requests: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and members of the House Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, my name is Esther Lucero. I am Dine and of Latino descent. As part of the third generation in my family living outside of o more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Leanndra Ross, vice president of executive and tribal services at Southcentral Foundation, Alaska, from a March 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations for the Indian Health Service: * * * My name is Leanndra Ross. I am the Vice President of Executive and Tribal Services at Southcentral Foundation (SCF), and I am an enrolled citizen of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Spirit Lake Nation Chairperson Lonna J. Street from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on fiscal 2027 funding requests: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, Rep. Fedorchak and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the Bill on the Spirit Lake Tribe's Priorities for FY 2027. I serve as the Chairperson of the Spirit Lake Nation. We are the Mni W more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Steve Sitting Bear from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations: * * * Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations priorities of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Tribe). My name is Steve Sitting Bear and I serve as the C more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona Chairman Verlon Jose from a March 17, 2026, hearing on funding requests: * * * Summary of Funding Requests 1. Increased funding for BIA roads maintenance 2. Funding for Interior's implementation of the Nation's 1982 water rights settlement 3. Increased funding for BIA law enforcement and border security 4. Increased funding for IHS facilities construction 5. Incre more PR

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Jeff Wacoche, chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on funding requests: * * * Honorable Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and members of the Committee, I am Jeff Wacoche, Chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma (UKB), a federally recognized Tribe comprising traditional Cherokee People wi more PR

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Urban Indian Health Institute Director Abigail Echo-Hawk from a March 17, 2026, hearing on funding requests: * * * Members of the House Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on Interior - Environment, and Related Agencies, my name is Abigail Echo-Hawk, and I am an enrolled citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma living in an urban Indian community in Seattle. I am the Director of the Urban India more PR