Indian Affairs Committee

Senator Domenici is a long time member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, which has jurisdiction to study the unique problems of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples. These issues include, Indian education, land management, gaming, trust responsibilities, health care, and economic development. Most legislation proposed by Members of the Senate that specifically pertains to American Indians, Native Hawaiians, or Alaska Natives is under the jurisdiction of the Committee.

As a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, Senator Domenici has played a large role in addressing and finding solutions to the high rate of diabetes rate that plagues American Indians. In 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act, Senator Domenici created the Special Diabetes program for Indians. This program provides grants to tribal and urban Indian programs in 35 states to create or enhance diabetes prevention and treatment programs. According to the Indian Health Service, the program has helped reduce diabetes-related complications among Native populations. He has sponsored legislation this year that will reauthorize this program. Senator Domenici has also sponsored legislation to improve the quality of education received at tribal colleges and universities by encouraging the recruitment and retention of qualified instructors. Senator Domenici has also played a role in working with tribes and local governments and groups to resolve land disputes and claims against the United States. Two recent examples are the Isleta settlement which settled all claims in the case of Pueblo of Isleta v. United States, and the San Ildefonso settlement which was the final settlement under the Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946. The San Ildefonso settlement was signed into law on September 27, 2006.

For more information on the Indian Affairs Committee, please visit:
http://indian.senate.gov/

For a complete list of legislation currently under the jurisdiction of the Indian Affairs Committee, please see:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/R?d109:FLD005:@3(Senate+Indian+Affairs)