MURKOWSKI RAISES TRIBAL PRIORITIES DURING FY 2027 BUDGET HEARING ON INDIAN AFFAIRS AND IHS PROGRAMS

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, held an oversight hearing to examine the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Requests for Indian Affairs programs at the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service (IHS). During the hearing, the Chairman spoke to priorities in each agencies' respective budgets, federal coordination on Tribal resilience and relocation efforts, the probate backlog, and proposed cuts to IHS funding for sanitation facilities construction.

Witnesses included:

• The Honorable William "Billy" Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
• Mr. Clayton Fulton, Chief of Staff, Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.

During her opening statement, Chairman Murkowski stressed the importance of ensuring Native communities remain directly involved in decisions affecting their future and maintaining strong support for the Indian Health Service.

"As I look at the proposed FY27 budget for Indian Affairs programs, I've got questions as to whether or not it will meet the well-documented needs across Indian Country," said the Chairman.

Chairman Murkowski's full opening statement can be found here.

Federal Coordination on Tribal Resilience and Relocation Efforts

Chairman Murkowski highlighted to Assistant Secretary Kirkland the growing threats facing Alaska Native coastal communities and stressed the need for stronger federal coordination on Tribal resilience and relocation efforts.

"Part of the challenge that I think we have, is that you don't really have a lead agency when it comes to how we deal with these disasters and particularly as we're talking about tribal relocation," said Chairman Murkowski.

"BIA is not formally designated as the federal lead, but I think more and more, you're seeing tribes that are looking to BIA as the primary partner coordinating across these agencies and helping communities navigate," said the Chairman.

Assistant Secretary Kirkland said that the Bureau of Indian Affairs has an ongoing presence in Alaska and should play a leading role in supporting communities through any relocation or rebuilding process, ensuring families are not forgotten after the initial emergency response.

"It's easy to respond to an emergency at the first step. It's easy to know that there was a tragedy. The tough part is sticking around and making sure the job gets finished," said Kirkland.

The full exchange between Chairman Murkowski and Assistant Secretary Kirkland can be found here.

Probate Backlog

Chairman Murkowski pressed Assistant Secretary Kirkland for concrete timelines and accountability in addressing the nationwide probate backlog, noting that 47,000 cases are currently pending nationwide. She stressed that modernization efforts must translate into measurable progress for families still waiting on resolution.

When asked by the chairman to provide metrics on when individuals can expect progress and when cases will begin moving through the system, Assistant Secretary Kirkland said that by the end of July, the agency expects to fully understand the scope of the probate backlog, including the status of individual cases and any missing documentation needed to close them. Kirkland also acknowledged that long-standing concerns about the probate backlog.

"You've heard time and time again, individuals come up here and say, we're gonna fix the problem. We've got this under control. So, until you actually see numbers moving, you're very, you're very right to be concerned," said Kirkland.

The full exchange between Chairman Murkowski and Assistant Secretary Kirkland can be found here.

Sanitation Funding Cuts

Chairman Murkowski raised concerns about the proposed $93 million reduction below FY 2026 enacted levels, pressing Mr. Clayton Fulton to explain how IHS will sustain progress on unmet sanitation needs once funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act run out.

"We're talking about communities that are still relying on honey buckets, haul wagons. And this, again, is - public safety, public health - when you don't have clean water and clean wastewater systems," said Chairman Murkowski.

Mr. Fulton shared that in a tight budget environment, the main challenge is deciding what to prioritize, and the agency sees this as a chance to invest in improving direct patient care. Chairman Murkowski challenged that response, arguing that basic sanitation and clean water are fundamental to preventing illness and should be treated as essential health infrastructure.

Chairman Murkowski reiterated that one-time Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding should not replace sustained base funding for essential sanitation services.

"We can't use that as the excuse not to continue robust base funding for something as basic as clean water," the Chairman said.

The full exchange between Chairman Murkowski and Mr. Fulton can be found here.

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An archived video is available on the Committee website for both the business meeting and the hearing.

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