NIGC

Senate set for final vote on NIGC nominee Jonodev Chaudhuri

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Jonodev Chaudhuri. Photo from Twitter

Update: At approximately 2:30pm, the Senate voted by a voice vote to confirm Jonodev Chaudhuri to serve as chairman of the NIGC.

The Senate is scheduled to vote this afternoon on the nomination of Jonodev Chaudhuri to serve as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Chaudhuri, who is a member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma. He joined the NIGC in September 2013 as vice chair and has served as acting chairman since then.

The agency that oversees the $28 billion tribal gaming industry has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since September 2013. To fill the void, President Barack Obama nominated Chaudhuri to serve as chairman in July 2013.

Indianz.Com SoundCloud: Nomination Hearing to consider Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri, of Arizona, to be Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission

The Senate, however, failed to confirm Chaudhuri before the end of the last session of Congress. So Obama resubmitted the nomination in January.

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing for Chaudhuri on March 11. His nomination was approved a week later.

"I am confident that he will ensure the principles of integrity and accountability are carried out by the commission during his time as chairman," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), the chairman of the committee, said in a press release at the time. "I hope to see his nomination passed by the full Senate soon.”

Barrasso's push is coming to fruition. The Senate will vote on the nomination at around 2pm today, according to the daily schedule.

Committee Notices:
Business Meeting to consider S. 35, S. 438, S. 465 and the NIGC Chairman Nomination (March 18, 2015)
Nomination Hearing to consider Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri, of Arizona, to be Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission (March 11, 2015)