Davis is among five witnesses who will discuss Indian Country priorities for the 114th Congress
WASHINGTON – National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (the National Center) President and CEO Gary Davis will testify at the Senate Indian Affairs Committee’s first hearing of the 114th Congress this afternoon on Capitol Hill. The hearing, entitled “Indian Country Priorities for the 114th Congress,” will also feature representatives from the National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Education Association, and the National Indian Health Board. Mr. Davis testified at a similar hearing last June during the National Center’s Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in DC, and the Indian Affairs Committee held a listening session at RES Wisconsin in October.
“There are many challenges in Indian Country, but also many opportunities,” said Davis. “It’s an honor to be able to share our experiences with the distinguished members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. As the National Center is proving, Indian Country is creating its own business opportunities, but there are ways in which the federal government can be a better partner. I look forward to continuing to work with the Senators and their staffs as they work to implement these important provisions.”
Some of the items Davis will discuss in his testimony include:
Fully implementing and enforcing the Buy Indian Act, including increasing procurement awards by 10%.
Enhancing and elevating the Office of Native American Affairs within the Department of Commerce and Small Business Administration.
Increasing funding for relevant Native American offices within the Departments of the Interior, Treasury, Commerce, and other agencies.
Achieving parity, through appropriate legislation, in Trust Land acquisition, New Market Tax Credit Allocations for Community Development Entities serving Indian Country, Energy development and investment on Indian lands, and tax treatment.
In addition, Davis is in Washington while the National Center is co-hosting the “Women and Energy” luncheon at the American Petroleum Institute. Energy has been a large focus of the National Center’s outreach, and is a frequent topic at its RES events. The next event – National RES in Las Vegas – is will take place from March 9-12. The topics discussed in Mr. Davis’s testimony will be prominently featured at Indian Country’s premier business networking event. For more information about RES, please visit www.res.ncaied.org.
