Senators press nominee on tribal public safety, fentanyl and law‑enforcement funding

WASHINGTON — Multiple senators urged William H. "Billy" Kirkland to make tribal public safety a top priority if confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, citing fentanyl trafficking, understaffed tribal police forces and recent changes in BIA detention funding. Senator Steve Daines (as recorded in questioning) told Kirkland public safety is "the number one concern" he hears from tribal leaders in Montana and described cartel exploitation of jurisdictional gaps on reservations. Daines asked whether Kirkland would commit to working with him to enhance tribal law enforcement. Kirkland replied that law enforcement and public safety are a priority for the administration, and he said he looked forward to working with senators and tribal leaders to advance those objectives. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto raised a separate but related set of concerns for Nevada tribes: an estimated unmet need of more than $3 billion for tribal public safety and justice, and a President’s budget request that would cut BIA public safety funding. She asked how Kirkland would avoid damaging tribal law enforcement capacity if funding were reduced; Kirkland told the committee he would seek cross-agency coordination, examine bottlenecks, and solicit ideas from tribal leaders and committee members. Senators also flagged operational problems: some tribes recently received notices from BIA’s Office of Justice Services saying detention services funding would no longer be provided following audits of 638 contracts. Cortez Masto said tribes have seen "minimal communication from DOI" about remedies and asked Kirkland to commit to remedying the communication and funding gaps; Kirkland agreed. Separately, Senator Maria Cantwell referenced a DEA-BIA partnership operation on the Yakama Nation that resulted in multiple indictments and seizures of fentanyl and other drugs, and she asked Kirkland to work with lawmakers on parity legislation to help tribes recruit and retain law enforcement officers; Kirkland said he would study the legislation and work with senators and tribes. Why it matters: tribal communities report law-enforcement staffing shortfalls, rising overdose deaths and jurisdictional complexity that can complicate responses to trafficking and violent crime. Senators pressed the nominee to use the assistant secretary’s office to coordinate funding, interagency responses and tribal consultations to address these gaps. No formal policy decisions were made at the hearing; senators requested follow-up discussions and legislative briefs from the nominee and DOI about detention funding, parity proposals, and how BIA would prioritize law-enforcement needs if appropriations were reduced.