Jonodev Chaudhuri. Photo from National Indian Gaming Commission
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a short confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Jonodev Chaudhuri to serve as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. After spending less than 30 minutes on the nomination, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana), the outgoing chairman of the committee, vowed to move quickly in the remaining days of the 113th Congress. "That is the hope," he said. "We're not doing this for the exercise," Tester said of the hearing. The NIGC has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since September 2013. President Barack Obama waited until July of this year to nominate Chaudhuri but Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the vice chair of the committee, said the administration waited two more months to submit additional paperwork. "There should be strong regulatory enforcement of Indian gaming," said Barrasso, who is expected to lead the committee in the next session of Congress. Chaudhuri, a member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, has been serving as vice chairman of the NIGC. He's also served as acting chairman but welcomed the chance to be confirmed as the official leader of the agency. "We've been able to keep the agency moving along," Chaudhuri told the committee. "We've been able to perform our regulatory duties in a real time of transition." But Chaudhuri noted that any appeals of decisions made by the chairman need to be heard by the full commission. As it stands, the agency only has two members -- the other is Dan Little, a non-Indian who is serving his second term at the NIGC. "Having the expertise of a full commission is absolutely essential in order for us to perform our ongoing obligation of regulatory review," Chaudhuri said. Otherwise, nothing appears to be hindering the agency's efforts in Indian Country. But if he is confirmed, Chaudhuri vowed to improve information technology services and to continue providing training and assistance to tribes to ensure their operations comply with all applicable laws. Audio from the hearing can be found on the Indianz.Com SoundCloud.
Committee Notice:
Nomination Hearing to Consider the President's Nomination of Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri to be Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission for the Term of Three Years (November 12, 2014) Related Stories:
NIGC nominee Jonodev Chaudhuri gets confirmation hearing (11/12)
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