Congressman Dan Boren

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Dan Boren has been named Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs for the 112th Congress in an announcement made today by the House Natural Resources Committee.  As Ranking Member, Boren will serve as the leading Democrat on the Subcommittee and he will have a pivotal role in overseeing all federal matters regarding Native Americans, including the 562 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Corporations, and nearly 1.9 million American Indians.  Boren has been a member of the House Natural Resources Committee since he was elected to Congress in 2004.

“Eastern Oklahoma has one of the largest concentrations of Native Americans of any Congressional district in the nation, and the federal government’s oversight of Indian Affairs has an immediate impact on tens of thousands of my constituents and many millions more throughout the United States.  I look forward to working with Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings, Subcommittee Chairman Don Young, and the rest of the House Natural Resources Committee leadership team to promote policies that benefit individual Native Americans and to protect tribal sovereignty and economic development opportunities for Indian tribes in Oklahoma and across the country,” said Boren.

Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said that Boren is an “excellent choice” for the position, “Dan Boren understands the importance of positive government-to-government relationships between the federal government and Indian nations. He also appreciates the vital role effective communication plays in developing policies in the best interests of everyone involved.”

Representative Boren has been a stalwart defender of Tribal Sovereignty, Self-Governance and Self-Determination.  His diligent efforts to represent the interest of tribes throughout Indian Country have distinguished him as a knowledgeable and earnest leader.  The Choctaw Nation is very proud to be in his Congressional District,” said Choctaw Chief Gregory E. Pyle.

“This is great news for Indian Country and for Oklahoma.  Dan Boren is a knowledgeable and thoughtful advocate of Native American policies. He has a good, longstanding relationship with Chairman Don Young, and I look forward to working with him to protect tribal sovereignty and advance the interests of Indian nations,” said Congressman Tom Cole.

The specific jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs includes: the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians; Tribal recognition issues, Indian lands (including leasing, acquisition, and alienation of tribal lands and individual Indian allotments); Energy, minerals, and timber issues; Trust issues and trust accounting matters; Land and water claims; Indian treaty rights; Indian gaming; Alaska Natives and Alaska Native Corporations.

Aside from his service on the House Natural Resources Committee and as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaskan Affairs, Boren has also been named to a second term on the House Select Committee on Intelligence during the 112th Congress.  While serving on the House Intelligence Committee, Boren will retain his seniority on the House Armed Services Committee.

“It is an honor to be selected to the Intelligence Committee for a second term.  The committee plays an integral in the oversight of our intelligence services as we continue to fight terrorism both globally and domestically, and I look forward to working with Chairman Mike Rogers, Ranking Member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, and the entire Intelligence Community on the many national security challenges facing our nation,” Boren said.

The House Intelligence Committee, one of the very few Committees in Congress that is a direct appointment by the Minority Leader’s office, instead of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, add to Boren’s already extensive background in legislative support and oversight of national security matters.  His interest in defense, national security, and intelligence services has taken him to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, and has been especially targeted at emerging democratic nations in Africa and military missions supported by AFRICOM.

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