National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which ensures that presidents of Tribal colleges and universities, TCUs, will have a direct voice on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. This bill is a necessary step to guarantee that TCUs, institutions that serve as educational hubs for Native-American communities, always have a voice in Federal funding discussions that directly impact their colleges.

As many of my colleagues know, the Federal Government holds a unique trust responsibility to the Native and Tribal communities, a responsibility that is not just a legal obligation, but a moral one. This trust is rooted in both the U.S. Constitution and centuries of commitments to Native communities.

Tribal colleges and universities pursue a unique mission. Not only do they educate Native communities, but they also preserve and advance Native-American culture and traditions. TCUs are central to the survival of Native languages, history, and cultural practices, all while providing access to higher education and advancing economic opportunities for Native students.

Having TCU representation will help to advise the NACIE as they fulfill one of their duties in advising the Education, Health, and Labor Secretaries in ways to strengthen TCUs and increase TCU participation in Federal agency programs.

While congressional Democrats and the Biden administration made critical investments to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Native-American communities, including through COVID relief funds totaling over $360 million, much work still remains.

Congress must make stronger, sustained investments in TCUs to address decades of systemic underfunding that these institutions have faced. This bill is about more than just adding a voice to the commission. It is about ensuring that the leaders of these vital institutions, who are on the front lines of education, have the opportunity to advocate for the unique needs of their students.

By including TCU presidents in NACIE, we ensure that Native leaders across the educational pipeline always have a guaranteed seat at the table.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, which will help honor our trust responsibility to Indian Tribes and support Native-American students and communities across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on the legislation, I will emphasize the fact that this bill is more than just adding a voice on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education; it is about honoring our Nation's commitment to Native-American communities and ensuring that Tribal colleges and universities are properly represented to discuss the effective legislation and executive action on their future and the students they serve.

We must include TCUs in conversations on Federal funding and educational policy. This bill is a step toward ensuring Native-American students and the institutions they serve will have the resources and support they need to thrive.

I urge my colleagues to support the legislation as a demonstration of our commitment to empowering the Native-American communities through education.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I will comment on the fact that this will be the last bill brought by Dr. Foxx in her capacity as chair of the committee.

I just point out that when we became chair and ranking member--we switched back and forth--we agreed that we would try to be the most dignified committee on Capitol Hill.

Regrettably, that is a mighty low bar around here, but I think we did as she has indicated. I think we demonstrated how you can disagree without being disagreeable. There were a lot of things we didn't agree on, but there were a lot of things we did. There was a lot of job training legislation that we were able to agree on, retirement savings, child abuse and prevention that we just considered, several healthcare bills, surprise billing, and things like that that took a lot of work.

We showed that it is possible to enact meaningful legislation on a bipartisan basis when you are willing to work together in a constructive way.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Foxx on her chairmanship and understand that there may be other leadership positions in her future, but I thank her for being able to conduct the committee as we were able to do it.

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