The Senate Indian Affairs Committee plans a vote next Thursday on the nomination of Larry EchoHawk to be assistant secretary of Indian affairs at the Department of the Interior.

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the chairman of the committee, said he hoped the Senate will act quickly on the nomination. EchoHawk won near unanimous praise at his confirmation hearing yesterday.

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the former chairman, said he won't vote for EchoHawk without getting responses to questions about Indian gaming. McCain wasn't happy with EchoHawk's inability to talk in detail about off-reservation gaming and other issues.

EchoHawk is a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. If confirmed, he will be the 11th assistant secretary to Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Get the Story:
EchoHawk extolled in hearing (The Salt Lake City Deseret News 5/8)
Senator Udall endorses Echohawk to lead BIA (The Farmington Daily Times 5/8)
Interior nominee EchoHawk pledges to work for Indian country (McClatchy Newspapers 5/7)
Professor close to being head of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BYU NewsNet 5/7)

Committee Hearing:
HEARING on the nomination of Larry J. Echo Hawk to be Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior (May 7, 2009)

Related Stories:
Senate confirmation hearing for EchoHawk at BIA (5/7)
Witness list for Larry EchoHawk confirmation hearing (5/5)
Confirmation hearing for Larry EchoHawk to lead BIA (5/4)
Editorial: EchoHawk a good choice to lead BIA (4/28)
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes welcome EchoHawk nod (4/21)
Obama nominates Larry EchoHawk for BIA post (4/10)
Salazar building Interior team with Native hires (3/5)
More Native picks expected at Obama's Interior (2/13)
Larry EchoHawk quietly apologizing to tribes (2/6)
Larry EchoHawk won't comment on BIA nod (1/30)
Salazar pledges Indian focus at Interior Department (1/29)
Inouye praises Larry EchoHawk as BIA nominee (1/27)
Battle brews over Obama's potential BIA nominee (1/27)
Blog: The case against Larry EchoHawk for BIA (1/26)
Larry EchoHawk up for assistant secretary job (1/23)