Senators from several states used William H. “Billy” Kirkland’s confirmation hearing to press for immediate action on public safety and law enforcement in Indian country.

Sen. Steve Daines said public safety is the top concern he hears from tribal leaders in Montana, calling conditions “beyond a full blown crisis” and noting that tribal police often patrol areas “larger than Rhode Island” with few officers. Daines asked whether Kirkland would commit to working with him to strengthen tribal law enforcement; Kirkland replied he would “look forward to working with you to advance that within your state, with your tribes.”

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and others highlighted national statistics and program shortfalls. Cortez Masto cited the Interior Department’s 2024 Tribal Law and Order Act report estimating unmet public-safety and justice funding needs of more than $3,000,000,000 and staffing shortfalls of over 11,000 law enforcement officers, and noted the president’s FY2026 request would cut $107,000,000 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ public safety and justice account. She asked how Kirkland would approach those cuts to avoid undermining efforts to combat trafficking and violence against women; he said he would seek cross-agency coordination, tribal ideas, and prioritization of funds appropriated by Congress.

Sen. Maria Cantwell described a multiagency operation with the Yakama Nation that resulted in major narcotics seizures — including fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills — and said tribal nations are “doing everything we can to work together in a collaborative fashion.” Cantwell and other senators urged Kirkland to engage on legislation such as the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act to help tribes recruit and retain officers by offering federal benefits comparable to state and local law enforcement.

Committee members also raised problems with BIA detention funding: Cortez Masto said several tribes received BIA letters indicating detention services funding would end following audits, and she pressed Kirkland to prioritize clearer communication and quicker remediation of funding gaps.

Kirkland acknowledged the scale of the problem and repeatedly pledged to work with senators, tribal leaders and BIA staff to identify efficiencies, improve recruitment and retain officers, and address detention funding and other operational shortfalls.