DOI asks for input on Tribal Interior Budget Council as tribal leaders urge prompt responses

The U.S. Department of the Interior has asked tribal nations for feedback on the Tribal Interior Budget Council (TBIC), and tribal leaders at a National Congress of American Indians webinar urged members to submit on-record comments before the current deadline and to press for reforms that would protect tribes' voice in federal budget decisions.

Megan Bishop, director of policy at the National Congress of American Indians, said the consultation covers TBIC's structure, participation, communication of outcomes and follow-through on action items. "Comments are due this Friday, April 17," Bishop said, urging attendees to use NCAI's template letter and suggested survey responses on the organization's TBIC web page.

Why it matters: TBIC is intended as a government-to-government advisory forum where tribal representatives help shape budget priorities for the Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and the agency that administers tribal trust funds. Matt Vogel, policy lead and facilitator for TBIC at NCAI, said TBIC "is the only forum that tribes can consult for those three departments" and warned that weakening or eliminating TBIC would "lose your voice at the table." He described TBIC as an important way to advance tribal self-determination and to improve transparency and accountability in how tribal priorities are reflected in budget submissions.

What organizers say DOI changed: Presenters said the DOI Dear Tribal Leader letter indicates the department will no longer have the National Congress of American Indians facilitate TBIC meetings and will instead handle TBIC coordination internally. The letter, signed by Jason Bruno (deputy assistant secretary for management and budget), also outlines a public survey and written-comment process ahead of TBIC meetings that DOI plans for May 19-20 at the Main Interior Building. Webinar presenters said the DOI letter posted logistics but left some items unspecified: exact meeting times, registration instructions and whether there will be a follow-up comment period after the consultation.

Concerns about timing and access: Organizers flagged that written comments were due on April 17, more than a month before the scheduled consultation, and reported technical or delivery problems with the email address listed for submissions. "We do not know what the times that the meeting will happen, based on the Dear Tribal Leader letter, nor do we know how to register," Bishop said. NCAI staff said they have contacted Jason Bruno to request clarification and to resolve issues with the submission address.

Recommended reforms and capacity needs: Webinar presenters outlined several steps they said would strengthen TBIC: formally authorizing TBIC to give it stronger standing beyond advisory status; requiring DOI to publish how tribal recommendations were or were not incorporated into budget proposals (explicit transparency/feedback loops); dedicating funding and technical resources to support tribal representatives and subcommittee members who currently often serve without reimbursement; better aligning TBIC processes with the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act; and ensuring consistent senior DOI leadership participates in TBIC meetings.

Practical steps for tribes: Organizers said the survey contains 15 questions across five sections (meeting structure/content, communication/transparency, follow-through/accountability, barriers to engagement and opportunities for improvement) and that tribal representatives should use the open-ended survey items to raise any gaps not captured in the questionnaire, including whether tribes feel their input is reflected in agency decisions. NCAI plans a pre-TBIC caucus on May 18 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the IGA Building in Washington, D.C., with a Zoom option; NCAI staff said they will post materials and a template comment letter on the NCAI TBIC website.

What was not decided: The webinar was a briefing and outreach session; there were no votes or formal decisions taken during the meeting. Presenters repeatedly urged tribes to submit written comments and survey responses to create an on-record administrative record for the consultation.

Next steps: Written comments are, per the webinar, due April 17; DOI plans TBIC meetings for May 19-20 at the Main Interior Building, and NCAI will hold a pre-TBIC caucus on May 18. Organizers asked tribes to report any problems submitting comments so NCAI can relay issues to DOI staff.