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- By Brian Edwards
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) will return to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in the 119th Congress, his office announced today.
His return to Indian Affairs, where he last served during the 117th Congress after several terms on the committee, comes weeks after introducing legislation with Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) that would remove Haskell Indian Nations University from Bureau of Indian Education control. The bill would transfer governance to an independent Board of Regents nominated by tribal communities.
In his announcement today, Moran said bureaucratic mismanagement and neglect by the Bureau of Indian Affairs led him to rejoin the committee "to hold the bureau accountable and improve the lives of Native Americans across the country."
The reform effort gained support from tribal leadership, with Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph Rupnick endorsing the legislation. “I am thankful that Sen. Moran and Rep. Mann have introduced this legislation to strengthen Haskell as a federally chartered university to further the federal government's treaty and trust responsibility to Indian people," Rupnick said.
The proposed Haskell legislation follows a July 2024 congressional hearing that revealed allegations of long-standing mismanagement, nepotism, and a toxic work environment at the Lawrence, Kansas institution. Moran and Mann are currently seeking input from Native American communities, Lawrence residents, and higher education stakeholders to refine the legislation.
On the Indian Affairs committee, Moran will join Republican colleagues Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, and Mike Rounds of South Dakota. All of the Senate Republican assignments were announced in December by incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota. The committee assignments have been ratified by the Senate Republican Conference and await full Senate ratification early next Congress, according to Thune’s news announcement.
In addition to his Indian Affairs assignment, Moran has been slated to chair the Veterans' Affairs Committee. His other committee assignments include: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Appropriations; Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Intelligence.
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