{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-calls-hearing-federal-failures-indian-education", "Johnson Calls for Hearing on Federal Failures in Indian Education", "2025-01-21", "2025", "2025-01", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) called on the House Committees on Natural Resources and Education & Workforce to hold an oversight hearing on the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and the dire state of Indian education.\n\n\u201cTribal educators and students are desperate for relief,\u201d Johnson wrote. \u201cSchools on reservations are outdated and deteriorating, with many schools in extreme states of disrepair due to leaking roofs and walls, mold, and signs of asbestos\u2026These students deserve better.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is time to confront the crisis in Indian education with an oversight hearing to ensure equity, safety and opportunity for Indian students,\u201d said Cecilia Fire Thunder, President of Oglala Lakota Nation Education Coalition.\n\n\u201cI respectfully call on both the House Natural Resources Committee and the Education & Workforce Committee to hold oversight hearings to examine the critical challenges faced by tribally-controlled schools under the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Our schools face unique barriers, from inadequate funding to outdated infrastructure, which severely hinder our ability to provide quality education to Native students. A thorough review is essential to address these systemic issues and ensure that our children have access to the resources and support they need to thrive academically, culturally, and personally. I thank Congressman Johnson for making this issue a priority,\u201d said Ryman Lebeau, Chairman of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.\n\nJohnson has led efforts to improve tribal educator retirement benefits and increase funding to BIE.\n\nBackground:\n\nA recent Department of Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report demonstrated BIE\u2019s systemic mismanagement and noted a more than $1 billion backlog in deferred maintenance.\n\nThe OIG report notes in the schools visited, some maintenance work orders have waited years to be completed.\n\nIn 2021, BIE Director Tony Dearman estimated the cost for replacing the schools BIE considers to be in poor condition at about $4.5 billion.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T23:38:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-calls-hearing-federal-failures-indian-education"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.6467270217835903, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}