Sioux Empire Today

U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) addressed issues concerning the allocation of funds for Indian country, calling on Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Department of Government Efficiency Chair Elon Musk to address the waste, fraud, and abuse of these funds. Johnson emphasized the need for vital resources to reach healthcare, education, and law enforcement facilities in Indian country, which currently lack necessary support.

In a written statement, Johnson and other members of Congress highlighted their responsibility to ensure federal funds are utilized effectively. "We believe in our duty to provide critical resources to tribes and tribal citizens. But as Members of Congress, we have a duty to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars are being used wisely," they stated. The letter further stressed the importance of directing funding to in-need tribal communities rather than leaving it unused within the federal government.

Concern about the management of resources for tribal communities was spotlighted in a recent hearing by the House Natural Resources Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee. The focus was on the inadequate oversight and management within the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), a concern Johnson had previously advocated addressing.

Examples of financial mismanagement were cited, including a Department of Interior (DOI) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report showing federal funds being misappropriated by a BIE-operated school. Additionally, systemic issues with BIE's management were highlighted, such as a backlog exceeding $1 billion in deferred maintenance and high-risk expenditures involving over $900 million in COVID-19 funds.

The call for reforms was supported by U.S. Representatives Troy Downing (R-MT), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), and Harriet Hageman (R-WY), who also signed the letter.