Senators warn nominee: lack of funding could imperil Navajo Gallup Water Project settlement

WASHINGTON — During the confirmation hearing for William H. "Billy" Kirkland, senators raised the Navajo Gallup Water Project and broader water-settlement issues as an urgent priority for tribal communities. A senator told Kirkland the project needs roughly $175 million in FY2026 to stay on track and warned that without that funding the Navajo settlement could become the first Indian water-rights settlement to fail in U.S. history. Kirkland said he would work with Congress to honor treaty obligations and to prioritize water settlements if confirmed, and he described personal memory of hauling water as part of his upbringing. When asked about the president’s budget, which the senator said included no funding for the pipeline, Kirkland acknowledged he did not have the figure offhand and said he hoped to be able to advocate for appropriations once confirmed. Why it matters: water settlements resolve long-running legal claims to water rights for tribes and often require multi-year federal funding commitments to construct infrastructure and deliver water to tribal members. Senators told the nominee that unresolved settlements leave both tribal and nontribal water users without certainty and can risk litigation. No final funding decisions were made at the hearing. Senators asked for follow-up information, and Kirkland said he would work with committee members and tribal leaders to address water settlement funding needs.