NIGC | Regulation

NIGC down to one member as leader faces Senate hearing

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Jonodev Chaudhuri serves as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Photo from Twitter

The National Indian Gaming Commission is down to just one member as its new leader faces his first hearing on Capitol Hill.

Under President Barack Obama, the agency that regulates the tribal casino industry went without a Senate-confirmed chairman for nearly two years. That finally changed when Jonodev Chaudhuri, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, took control of the NIGC in May.

At that time, the NIGC only had two members: Chaudhuri and Daniel Little, an associate commissioner. But Chairman Chaudhuri is now the only one left following Little's departure on May 30.

Dan Little served as an associate commissioner for the National Indian Gaming Commission from April 2010 to May 2015. Photo from NIGC

"The Chairman’s commitment to Indian Country is palpable in the execution of his daily obligations to the agency and I will miss not being a part of NIGC’s continued effectiveness under his leadership," Little said in an interview in the July issue of Indian Gaming Magazine.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 calls for three people to serve on the NIGC. One is the chairman, to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, while the other two commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior Department.

Except for a brief period in 1990, when the agency got off the ground with its first chairman and sole member, the NIGC has never gone with less than three members for a prolonged period of time.

Tracie Stevens served as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission from June 2010 to September 2013. She was the first woman to lead the agency. Photo from NIGC

That situation began to change under President Obama, who waited more than a year to nominate Tracie Stevens, a member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, to serve as chairman.

The NIGC had three members up until January 2013, when one commissioner left. Stevens departed in September of that year and Chadhuri was brought on board.

Since September 2013, Chadhuri and Little served as the only two commissioners at the agency. During his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Chadhuri insisted that the NIGC has been able to function normally but stressed the need for a Senate-approved leader

"There is a need to have confirmed chairman," Chaudhuri told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on March 11. "IGRA contemplates a confirmed chairman -- one nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. It's essentially a constitutional officer that needs to be running an agency of the NIGC's importance."

Between September 2013 and May 2013, the NIGC only had two members: Jonodev Chaudhuri, left, and Dan Little, right. They are seen here with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. Photo from DOI

Chaudhuri will be back before the committee today to testify about the "integrity" of the Indian gaming industry. It's his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being confirmed as chairman of the NIGC.

Chaudhuri also will be in the spotlight tomorrow when he announces the latest revenue figures for the industry. The last report, covering the year 2013, showed $28 billion in revenues.

Today's hearing takes place immediately following a business meeting at 2:15pm in Room 216 of the Senate Hart Office Building. The room is much larger than the one used for the committee's regular hearings to accommodate a potentially bigger crowd.

The business meeting will not be webcast but an audio-only feed will be available at Capitol Hearings.

The hearing will be webcast. The witness list follows:

•The Honorable Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri
Chairman-National Indian Gaming Commission, Washington, DC
•Ms. Anne-Marie Fennell
Director-Natural Resources and Environment, United States Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC
•Mr. Jamie Hummingbird
Chairman-National Tribal Gaming Commissioners & Regulators Association, Oneida, WI
•Mr. David Trujillo
Director-Washington State Gambling Commission, Olympia, WA
•Mr. Ernest L. Stevens, Jr.
Chairman-National Indian Gaming Association, Washington, DC

Committee Notices:
Business Meeting to consider S. 1704 and S. 1776 (July 22, 2015)
Oversight Hearing on "Safeguarding the Integrity of Indian Gaming" (July 22, 2015)

Government Accountability Office Report:
Regulation and Oversight by the Federal Government, States, and Tribes (June 3, 2015)