Senate Hearing – Shutdown Impacts Continue on Indian Country

11/7/2025

Washington, D.C. – On October 29, 2025, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held an oversight hearing focused on the “Impacts of Government Shutdowns and Agency Reductions in Force on Native Communities.”  Witnesses discussed the consequences of potential lapses in funding for critical programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

A central focus of the hearing was the November 1st deadline for potential SNAP funding expiration. Witnesses expressed serious concerns, detailing how Tribes are preparing to step in to prevent community members from going hungry.  Preparedness efforts include tapping into Tribal funds to ensure food security, seeking lines of credit, creating food banks, and utilizing hunting and traditional foods to guarantee food to families.

Senator Smith emphasized the federal government's legal obligation, highlighting that part of the trust and treaty responsibility was “to provide nutrition assistance, housing, other fundamental basics as part of the Treaties that we signed. This is not a nice-to, it’s not a may, it is a shall.”

Senator Murkowski also inquired about LIHEAP and how long Tribes knew those funds would be available. Witnesses indicated that while Tribes are processing applications, they are unsure if LIHEAP funding will arrive on November 1st. The lack of clarity has immediate, serious implications, as one witness testified that if funds are delayed, many people, “especially the elderly will have to make tough decisions between food, heat, or purchasing medicine.”

The hearing also highlighted the impact of a proposed abolishment of the CDFI Fund. Witnesses warned that eliminating the fund would cut off the federal certification process-an “official stamp of approval” that Native CDFIs use to secure significant private and non-federal investments for homes, farms, and other business developments. The biggest ongoing challenge, they added, is coordinating federal programs to meet capital needs for home mortgages in Indian Country.

As the hearing concluded, Senator Murkowski stated she was more optimistic about being able to pass a spending bill, but it just seems there are more concerns coming up with each passing day, and “there’s no good reason for a shutdown ever.”  

The hearing and witness testimony may be viewed at the Committee website: https://www.indian.senate.gov/hearings/oversight-hearing-entitled-impacts-of-government-shutdowns-and-agency-reductions-in-force-on-native-communities/

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