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More than 100 tribal representatives and organizations will testify before the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee this week, in one of the largest collective testimonies by Native communities in recent committee history.

For weeks, I have been sounding the alarm on the devastating impacts that the Trump administration’s policies are having on our communities—from our farmers and educators to our scientists and small businesses. I hope the tribal witnesses we’ll hear from will share how this administration is affecting the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous people in their communities — and across the country.

As ranking member on this subcommittee, I’m very much looking forward to hearing directly from these leaders, experts, and advocates. I promise to listen to every word—every story, every perspective, every piece of analysis—and to do everything in my power to address the looming crises at hand.

Before we talk about the specific impacts of the administration’s scorched-earth approach, it’s important to understand how we got here.

Of all the extreme actions taken by President Donald Trump since his inauguration, perhaps the most alarming was his decision on Jan. 27 to illegally freeze all federal funding—essentially stealing funds already approved by Congress.

The announcement threw the country into chaos and confusion. Small businesses and nonprofits would no longer receive the funding they’d been promised. Foreign aid ground to a halt. Hospitals couldn’t access Medicaid funds.

The Constitution clearly gives Congress the “power of the purse.” Appropriations bills are not suggestions; they’re laws. For the president to unilaterally pause all federal funding and grants—without the consent of Congress—is flagrantly illegal. And it sets an incredibly dangerous precedent for future presidents.

While the courts have blocked the president’s illegal impoundment, it’s already inflicting severe harm across Indian Country.

Indian Health Service funds that provide lifesaving care couldn’t be accessed. Grants for housing and education. Investments in clean drinking water and reliable roads. Lead testing in schools. Environmental justice programs. All are vital to improving lives—and empowering people. Every single one of them is now in jeopardy.

As if that weren’t awful enough, the administration also announced a federal hiring freeze, meaning agencies like the IHS, Bureau of Indian Education, and Bureau of Indian Affairs — all of which are dealing with significant staff shortages — can’t hire any new employees.

On Friday, Feb. 14, we also witnessed the reckless and indiscriminate firing of thousands of probationary employees, which further imperils the provision of vital services to Indigenous communities — and undermines the federal government’s ability to uphold its treaty and trust responsibilities.

Because of the president’s extreme actions, health care for millions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives and their general welfare now hangs in the balance.

Sadly, these aren’t the only Trump administration policies that threaten the safety and wellbeing of tribal communities.

The president’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, inclusion, for example, will cause significant disruptions to federal programs that many Indigenous people rely on— from funding for tribal colleges and universities to federal contracts for Native businesses (despite the fact that tribal affiliation is considered a political classification; not a racial one).

Meanwhile, the president’s vocal support for school choice could result in funds being redirected from the Bureau of Indian Education, an agency that’s already chronically underfunded.

Perhaps most horrifying of all, this administration’s immigration policies have shown an abhorrent disregard for the dignity of Native people — sweeping them up in ICE raids and using a blatantly unconstitutional effort to overturn the 14th Amendment to question their citizenship.

Our Native communities have endured too much — the sacrifice and suffering, the traumas and tragedies — for us to allow this kind of callous and cruel treatment to continue. To let this reckless administration trample their rights. Their sovereignty. Their dignity. To add even more broken promises to an already endless list of betrayals.

Which is why this week’s congressional hearings are so important. By using this unique and powerful platform — in sharing the facts and data, their stories and experiences — tribal leaders and advocates can shine a much-needed spotlight on the profound damage the Trump administration is doing to our country.

By bearing witness to the pain and anger that so many are already experiencing, they’ll help others better understand what’s happening in their own communities.

These upcoming hearings provide an opportunity for American Indians and Alaska Natives to have their voices heard — and to inspire their fellow Americans to do the same.