Senators from both parties told Interior Secretary Doug Burgum they are alarmed by the proposed reductions to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) construction, and other core tribal programs in the President’s FY2026 budget blueprint.

Sen. Jeff Merkley framed the proposed reductions as a breach of trust: “Cutting nearly $1,000,000,000 from Indian Affairs would hurt the federal government's ability to meet its trust responsibility to native people.” He flagged education, probate backlogs, public safety and missing and murdered Indigenous people as areas of concern.

Sen. Patty Murray and others described the scope of cuts and their likely impacts on tribal public safety and schooling. Burgum said he has met with tribal leaders and hosts weekly tribe meetings, and he pledged to provide senators a list of tribal consultations and to continue those discussions. He acknowledged “a deep understanding of our challenges and shortage in law enforcement” and said the department would work on recruitment and training solutions.

Several senators highlighted training gaps for BIA law enforcement and supported expanded regional training sites. Senators John Hoeven and Mike Rounds urged working with Camp Grafton and other local facilities to expand training capacity in the Northern Plains so recruits need not travel long distances for basic instruction.

On BIE school construction, Sen. Martin Heinrich flagged a roughly $187,000,000 proposed cut to the BIA school construction account and reminded the committee there is a multi‑billion‑dollar deferred‑maintenance backlog in BIE facilities. He and others asked how the department would move forward on school construction and student outcomes with reduced funds.

Burgum said the department will provide lists of tribes consulted and that it will continue engagement on law enforcement staffing, training and interagency cooperation; he did not provide immediate offsets or new funding for the accounts discussed.