How to watch the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance

Mid‑hearing Q&A: funding cuts, root causes, and Arizona–Montana cases

Raskin and the chair examine the impact of DOJ public safety grant cuts, under‑resourced tribal law enforcement, and historical trafficking and oversexualization of Native people as root causes of MMIP, while probing specific Arizona sober living Medicaid fraud and Montana FBI staffing issues. Discussion highlights data gaps, limits of federal engagement, and how cartels exploit reservation jurisdiction to expand criminal operations in surrounding regions.

In this chapter

1. Raskin Q&A: Grant cuts, law enforcement funding, and root causes
2. Chair Q&A Part I: Arizona MMIP, sober living fraud, and cartel use of reservations

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Initial Q&A: protocols, VAWA, and law enforcement models

Members Lee, McBath, and Nunn question witnesses on how MMIP response protocols operate in practice, how small jurisdictions prioritize scarce investigative resources, and how VAWA’s expanded tribal jurisdiction has worked on the ground. Witnesses emphasize early‑hours communication with families, limitations from lack of state authority on reservations, under‑funding and poor implementation of VAWA and Savanna’s Act, and the need for more manpower, focused prosecutors, and cross‑deputized task forces to counter cartel activity.

In this chapter

1. Rep. Lee Q&A: First‑hours protocols and prioritizing cases
2. McBath Q&A: VAWA’s partial gains and Not Invisible implementation gaps
3. Rep. Nunn Q&A: Manpower, cartels, and task force models

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Witness testimonies: jurisdiction, capacity, and legislative fixes

Witnesses Echo‑Hawk, Shores, Lizer, and Knudsen present frontline perspectives on service cuts, untested rape kits, information‑sharing gaps, fragmented tribal–state–federal systems, and limits on state authority in Indian Country, while detailing state and tribal initiatives and urging specific federal reforms. They call for jurisdictional fixes, enhanced tribal criminal authority, increased law enforcement capacity, and passage or implementation of targeted bills (BADGES, Tribal Parity, PROTECT, Savanna’s Act, Not Invisible Act).

In this chapter

1. Echo‑Hawk: Service cuts, jurisdictional loopholes, and legislative asks
2. Shores: Information systems, domestic violence dockets, and trust responsibility
3. Lizer: Fragmented systems and five accountability reforms
4. Attorney General Knudsen: Montana MMIP data and state–tribal limits

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Opening, hearing mandate, and member statements

Lucy McBath and 1 other

The chair opens the MMIP hearing, outlines procedural matters and the focus on tribal public safety, followed by detailed framing statements from the chair and ranking members on data, jurisdictional complexity, Trump‑era policies, VAWA jurisdiction, funding cuts, and the need for new congressional action. The panel of witnesses is then formally introduced, sworn in, and instructed on testimony procedures.

In this chapter

1. Opening of hearing and procedural formalities
2. Chair: MMIP crisis, jurisdictional complexity, and federal initiatives
3. Ranking Member McBath: Trump-era policy, VAWA jurisdiction, and grant cutsLucy McBath

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