Patrice Kunesh‘s bid to be the next chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has the backing of tribes and the Democrat-led Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, but a faction of Republicans oppose the nomination as it heads to the Senate.
At a committee meeting this week, Kunesh’s nomination was approved and sent on to the full chamber for a vote. All six Democrats on the committee approved Kunesh’s nomination, including outgoing Chair Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), as did Republican Vice-Chair Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
But Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) voted no in person, while Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) voiced their opposition by proxy vote. Hours earlier, President-Elect Donald Trump had posted on X after the Senate approved President Joe Biden’s nominations for federal judges to urge Republican senators “to show up and hold the line” against their Democrat counterparts.
However, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), noted that Kunesh has successfully earned bipartisan support for previous nominations, including from members of the Committee on Indian Affairs before she was confirmed as Administration for Native Americans commissioner last year. Mullin, the only opponent who was physically present, did not offer comment when invited to do so by Schatz.
Kunesh’s experience and advocacy garnered strong support
In a committee release, Schatz called Kunesh, “a dedicated public servant who works hard on behalf of Indian Tribes and Native communities.” In the meeting on Wednesday, he stressed that Kunesh’s experience and commitment to tribal gaming advancement earned his strong support.
Kunesh has significant experience working in tribal affairs. She is currently the deputy assistant secretary for Native American affairs, as well as the commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans within the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She previously worked at the Native American Rights Fund and has been the deputy solicitor for Indian affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“For the record, Ms. Kunesh’s nomination is supported by the National Congress of American Indian of American Indians, the Coalition of Large Tribes, the Native American Finance Officers Associations and individual tribes,” he added at the meeting on Wednesday. “The committee has received no letters opposed to her nomination.”
The NIGC consists of three members: the chair and two commissioners. To be named NIGC chair and replace E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, who was nominated during Trump’s first presidency and left in February, Kunesh will need a majority vote on the Senate floor.
Schatz noted the NIGC chair is responsible for regulating tribal gaming in the U.S., maintaining its integrity ensuring that tribal gaming activities primarily benefit the tribes that operate them. In June, the federal regulatory agency reported a new record of $41.9 billion in gross gaming revenue in FY2023.
Associate Commissioner Sharon M. Avery has been serving as acting chair of the agency since May.
