Oversight Hearing | Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

The House Committee on Natural Resources GOP Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on February 12, 2025, to review the state of Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, focusing on deferred maintenance backlogs, funding challenges, and management inefficiencies. Witnesses from the Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office testified about longstanding issues including inaccurate facility maintenance data, unsafe school conditions, and misuse of federal funds, including COVID-19 relief money. Tribal leaders and school administrators highlighted critical infrastructure failures, inadequate teacher housing, and security concerns, emphasizing the need for increased and more reliable funding, streamlined maintenance approval processes, and enhanced tribal control through mechanisms like Section 105(l) leases. Committee members discussed the importance of addressing both funding shortfalls and systemic management weaknesses to improve educational environments for Native American students. The hearing included calls for greater accountability, improved oversight, and legislative action to ensure timely and effective use of appropriated funds for school repairs and modernization.