The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.

In 2009, the court ruled that the land-into-trust process is restricted to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" as of 1934. The decision has sparked numerous lawsuits and has forced the Bureau of Indian Affairs to dedicate significant resources on the matter.

Despite the uncertainty, Congress has failed to implement a simple fix to the decision. Some lawmakers have raised concerns about gaming even though the overwhelming majority of land-into-trust applications do not involve casinos.

Tomorrow's hearing takes place at 2:30pm in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. The witness list follows:

•The Honorable Kevin Washburn, Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs

Panel 2
•Ms. Jaqueline Johnson-Pata, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians
•The Honorable Marshall Pierite, Chairman, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and Co-Chairman, United South and Eastern Tribes Carcieri Task Force
•Ms. Diane Dillion, Supervisor, Napa County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of California State Association of Counties

Committee Notice:
OVERSIGHT HEARING: "Carcieri: Bringing Certainty to Trust Land Acquisitions." (November 20, 2013)