The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing this morning on H.R.4347 , the Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2009.

The Obama administration does not support the bill, an Interior official told the committee. Associate deputy secretary Laura Davies cited concerns about the expansion of self-governance to other programs at the department.

A panel of tribal leaders testified in support of the bill. They said it make the self-governance program at Interior more consistent with the one at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The hearing lasted almost two hours. Audio files can be downloaded below:

• Opening Statements

Panel 1
• Testimony | Q&A
Ms. Laura Davies
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior

Accompanied by
Mr. George Skibine
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs

And Mr. John Rever
Director, Office of Facilities, Environment and Cultural Resources

Panel 2
• Testimony | Q&A
The Honorable Gregory E. Pyle
Chief, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Honorable Marcus D. Levings
Chairman, Three Affiliated Tribes

Mr. Robert Keith
Chairman of the Board, Kawerak, Inc.

Mr. Donovan Gomez
Tribal Programs Administrator, Taos Pueblo

Committee Hearing:
Full Committee Legislative Hearing On H.R. 4347 (June 9, 2010)

Related Stories:
Witness List: House committee hearing on self-governance (6/8)