Beaudin Advocates for LCO Priorities During Washington, D.C. Trip

By Joe Morey

News Editor

Lac Courte Oreilles Secretary Treasurer Michelle Beaudin returned from Washington, D.C., in September after a busy schedule of advocacy meetings and consultations on key issues affecting tribal governments nationwide.

Beaudin said one of the main briefings she attended was hosted by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), where federal concerns impacting Indian Country were front and center. “We discussed OMB withholding CDFI funds, the delays in releasing the federal greenbook and the crosscut funding, and a proposed reduction to indirect cost reimbursements,” she explained. “We’re also seeing Department of Justice grants being pulled back due to DEI concerns, even when they reference our traditional and cultural healing methods. We were advised to be extremely careful with language in grant applications.”

She added that NCAI leaders are urging support for the Parity in Law bill. “This legislation would allow tribes to be included in key federal benefits like pensions and death benefits, and ensure that injuries to tribal employees are covered the same as any other government workforce. It would even expand tribal courts’ ability to subpoena social media records in cases.”

Other major national priorities highlighted included restoration of public broadcasting funding, and reauthorization of both NAHASDA and VAWA.

During the visit, Beaudin met with several federal lawmakers and key staff, including Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Congressman Dan Newhouse, Congresswoman Sharice Davids, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, Kaitlin Johnstone of Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office, and Conner Morrill of Senator Ron Johnson’s office.

“We talked about the possibility of a government shutdown and the push for a continuing resolution into November as Congress tries to pass the Tribal Tax Reinvestment Bill,” Beaudin said. “That bill would allow tribal governments to issue tax-exempt bonds just like cities and counties, without having to prove we meet an ‘essential government services’ test that has unfairly singled tribes out for decades.”

Beaudin said she also advocated for a tribal set-aside of $175 million for Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics and New Market Tax Credits, “so tribes can access a fair share of federal investment tools.”

She emphasized support for several parity measures: “We urged them to back full parity for tribal tax law, to allow BIE schools to authorize charter schools and receive funding directly rather than through the states, and to support the tribal law parity bill so we can operate on the same footing as state and local governments.”

Other key issues she discussed included:

• Missing and Murdered Indigenous People initiatives

• The GWE tax bill

• Protecting tribal sovereignty in union regulations

• Advanced appropriations for Indian Health Service

• Continued funding for the Farm Bill and tribal food distribution

• Full funding for the FRTEC program

• Truth and Healing initiatives and honoring trust lands

• Fighting cuts to tribal education, workforce, and healthcare programs

• Equitable pay to recruit Native workers in IHS and other programs

• Reauthorization of NAHASDA with expansions for middle-income families

• Tribal water rights settlements

• Concerns with NEPA reform, particularly the ePermit system

• Great American Outdoors Act school construction funding for BIE campuses

• The SPEED Act to expedite economic development

• Sustaining Tribal radio stations after major federal broadcast funding cuts

“We made it clear that Tribes should not be facing cuts, freezes, or zeroing out of programs that are literally tied to federal treaty obligations,” Beaudin said.

She emphasized the urgency across Indian Country: “From healthcare worker shortages to the need for permanent advanced appropriations for IHS, these are foundational services our people rely on every single day. We need Congress to stand with tribes, not pull back.”

Beaudin said the trip was productive and reinforced the importance of staying engaged. “These conversations matter,” she said. “We are building relationships and making sure our community’s voice is heard at the highest levels.”

In a reflection on the overall delegation’s visit, Beaudin said the purpose was much bigger than any single bill or funding decision. “Every trip to Washington is an investment in our future. When we show up and advocate for Lac Courte Oreilles, we are defending our sovereignty, our services, and our right to thrive. Our tribe deserves every opportunity that state and local governments receive and nothing less.”