TRIBAL/OBAMA SUMMIT SET

President Obama will meet with hundreds of tribal leaders in Washington, D.C. November 5th, 2009.  The President had committed to an annual meeting with tribal leaders during his 2008 campaign and is fulfilling his promise. This historic meeting will coincide with the National Congress of American Indians’ Grand Opening of the Embassy of Tribal Nations on November 3rd and a tribal leaders meeting…

APPROPRIATIONS  FY ’09

Tribal efforts were successful in the restoration of the Pacific Salmon Treaty funding for FY09 in its entirety ($1.772m)–a significant accomplishment with a coordinated effort from the NWIFC delegation, Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission and Chairman Ron Allen.  A lot of credit for this success goes to Mary Jane Miller of the BIA Central Office who was able to secure these funds and…

APPROPRIATIONS

As Federal Update reported last month, the FY-2009 just passed Tuesday, but now that the main stimulus has been passed and signed, an outline of the Obama FY ’10 budget has been released with details yet to come.

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S FIRST BUDGET (FY ’10)

A spate of testimony from Administration officials has hit the hill regarding President Obama’s FY 2010 budget, with OMB Director Peter…

Senate Republicans Collins, Snowe and Specter join Democrats in passing $835 Billion Stimulus Bill (61-37); Conference expected to begin immediately to get bill to President by the end of the week.

Negotiators for Congress and the White House worked to narrow differences on an economic stimulus bill on Wednesday in hopes of clearing a bill for President Barack Obama’s signature by week’s end.

After unofficial talks…

BIA BASE BUDGET FY 2009

The election of a new president, the appointment of a new cabinet and the changing face of Congress are all good news to the tribes, and to everyone else who cares about a healthy environment and sustainable economies. But, for FY 2009, the tribes still face a funding crisis that threatens their ability to support their basic fisheries management responsibilities, and…

APPROPRIATIONS

House subcommittees have approved appropriations bills that would provide $27.9 billion in discretionary funding. That would top the current level by 4.9 percent increase, or $1.3 billion and Bush’s request by 8.2 percent, or $2.1 billion. The full committee is set to take up the bill on June 18.

APPROPRIATIONS
H.R.2643, the Norm Dicks-sponsored House appropriations bill for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, was sent to the Senate at the end of June. There it still awaits action on the Senate Legislative Calendar. Senate counterpart S.1696, sponsored by Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-CA, is also on the Senate Calendar. The Senate’s $27.2 billion…