WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a nomination hearing to consider President Biden’s nomination of Roselyn Tso to serve as the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tso, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, was nominated by President Biden to serve as the IHS Director on March 10, 2022. Currently serving as Director of the Navajo Service Area, Tso, if confirmed, would be the most senior, Senate-confirmed, federal official charged with developing Native healthcare policy.
“This hearing is an important first step in carrying out the Senate’s constitutional duty to provide advice and consent,” said Chairman Schatz. “It’s an opportunity to learn about how, if confirmed, Ms. Tso plans to carry out and uphold the United States’ trust responsibilities to provide American Indians and Alaska Natives with quality health care services; improve operations and address challenges facing the Indian Health Service; and advocate for all Native communities, including the Native Hawaiian community, across the administration.”
During questioning, Schatz pressed Tso on her commitment to respecting tribal sovereignty, engaging in robust tribal consultation, and upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. He concluded the hearing by noting that the official record will remain open for two weeks to allow any interested stakeholders to submit views on Tso’s nomination to the committee.
