In 2017, SGCETC submitted testimony to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs identifying the following priorities for the Trump Administration: (1) engage Tribal Leaders immediately to begin the process of identifying appropriate criteria for selection of the Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service Director, and the Department of Transportation Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Tribal Government Affairs in the Office of the Secretary; (2) adopt and reinforce the principles of Executive Order 13175, “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments” and set an expectation that consultation outcomes must create meaningful changes in Tribal communities across the United States; (3) exempt Indian Affairs from any future sequestrations, rescissions, and disproportionate program funding decreases; (4) implement the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA), P.L. 114-178; (5) update 25 CFR part 140 (Licensed Indian Traders) in an effort to modernize the implementation of the Indian Trader statutes consistent with the Federal policies of Tribal Self-Determination and Self-Governance; (6) assign a high-level Tribal-Federal Task Force to provide recommendations for the redesign of IHS; (7) support administrative actions to conduct a Self-Governance Demonstration Project in accordance with the P.L. 106-260, Title VI, Self-Governance Demonstration Feasibility Study Recommendations in 2003, and Tribal Recommendations of the 2013 Health and Human Services Self-Governance Tribal-Federal Workgroup Reports; (8) protect the Modernizing Health Care Delivery and Quality Provisions included in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA); (9) utilize the national VA-IHS MOU to provide care to non-Native veterans; (10) improve coordination of care between Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health care systems; (11) fulfill Requirements under Section 221 of the Tribal Law and Order Act; and (12) ensure the Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program (TTSGP) is implemented in accordance with the FAST Act, P.L. 114-94.
