Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) discussed the cuts to the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) with Scott Davis, Department of the Interior Senior Adviser, in a recent House Education and Workforce Committee hearing.
"The Bureau of Indian Education school system is a critical institution that provides education for roughly 46,000 students at 183 schools across the United States," Rep. Ansari began, "Unfortunately, chronic staffing shortages and inadequate funding have left many BIE schools in disrepair, putting the health and safety of students at risk."
Rep. Ansari then accused the Trump Administration, "Instead of addressing the decades of deferred maintenance and repair backlogs that have weakened educational outcomes for Native students, this administration wants to make extreme cuts to BIE staffing and funding."
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"We have already seen that DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] has targeted Haskell [Indian Nations University] and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute [SIPI] with drastic staff reductions, which, according to the Native American Rights Fund, devastated operations at Haskell and SIPI," the Arizona Congresswoman continued. "And now this administration wants to cut funding for BIE postsecondary programs by almost 90%."
Ansari then asked Davis if the Federal government had a "trust obligation" to continue funding Haskell and SIPI.
Davis replied, "We have seen cuts, we have seen increases, we have seen it all, but we have always been resilient. We have always been prepared for these challenges."
The Arizona Congresswoman followed up with another question on how BIE intends to fill and retain staff in light of the DOGE cuts, to which Davis said BIE has sought exemptions and has rehired previously removed staff.
In May, Arizona State Representatives Walt Blackman (R-7) and Teresa Martinez (R-16) urged a federal response to alarming rates of Native Americans going missing and murdered throughout the United States.
"This isn't just about numbers—these are lives lost and families shattered," said State Rep. Blackman, adding, "We need our congressional delegation, state leaders, and federal agencies to act. Too many cases are ignored, misclassified, or left unsolved. I represent a district bordering the Navajo Nation, where many families continue to wait for justice."
Similarly, State Rep. Martinez said, "People in these communities need help—investigators, forensic tools, trained personnel, and victim services. Words are not enough. We need action. Our Native communities have waited long enough. This is a matter of justice. The time to act is now."
