Sens. Lisa Murkowski (left) and Brian Schatz (right) at an Indian Affairs Committee oversight hearing on NAGPRA on Feb. 2, 2022. (Photo: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs).  

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R‑AK), Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Sen. Brian Schatz (D‑HI), Vice Chair, will convene an oversight hearing onWednesday, September 17, 2025, titled “Indian Self‑Determination and Education Assistance Act Successes and Opportunities at the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service.” The session will explore how the Indian Self‑Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) has been working at the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Indian Health Service (IHS), and identify ways Congress can enhance service delivery under ISDEAA.

Witnesses include:

  • Mr. Kennis Bellmard, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development, U.S. Department of the Interior

  • Mr. Ben Smith, Acting Director, Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

  • The Honorable Chuck Hoskin Jr., Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation

  • Mr. Victor Joseph, Executive Director, Tanana Tribal Council

  • Mr. Jay Spaan, Executive Director, Self‑Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium

Details:

  • Date & Time: Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET

  • Location: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628

The hearing will be webcast live via the Committee’s website, and an archived video will be made available shortly after the event. Witness testimony will be posted on the Committee’s website at the start of the hearing.