By David Z. Bean, Chairman, Indian Gaming Association

The midterm elections are behind us, and today we know the work ahead demands that we keep showing up, stand together, and ensure Congress understands who we are, what we have built, and what we are determined to protect.

My message is simple: yəhaw’ – Let’s go.

Indian Country has faced changing administrations, shifting congressional majorities, and repeated challenges to our sovereign rights. Through every transition, our responsibility remains the same: protect our Nations, strengthen our communities, and defend the future our people have worked generations to build. We are ready again. Now we must turn that readiness into action.

The 2026 midterm elections delivered a significant change in Washington, with Democrats winning control of both chambers of Congress. As votes continue to be counted, the full dimensions of that change are still taking shape. What is already clear is that new leadership, new committee priorities, and new oversight opportunities will influence the decisions ahead.

For the Indian Gaming Association, our obligation is to ensure that Tribal Nations help shape those decisions. We must strengthen existing relationships, build new ones, and insist that Tribal sovereignty remain central to every policy affecting our governments. That means educating lawmakers, engaging their staff, and bringing our communities’ voices directly into the rooms where policy takes shape.

This election also brought historic progress for Native representation. Peggy Flanagan’s election to the United States Senate marks a milestone as the first Native woman elected to that body. Her achievement carries meaning for Native people who deserve to see our experiences and perspectives represented wherever national decisions are made.

Returning Native Members of Congress, including Sharice Davids, Tom Cole, and Josh Brecheen, bring experience and relationships that remain important to Indian Country. New members bring opportunities to expand that understanding. Deb Haaland’s election as New Mexico’s governor represents another historic achievement. We also continue watching unresolved races involving Native candidates, including Mary Peltola in Alaska and Jonathan Nez in Arizona.

These accomplishments deserve recognition. So do the Native voters, organizers, families, and communities who made participation a priority. Our people understand that decisions made far from home can reach directly into our lives. Their work at the ballot box must now be matched by sustained engagement with those elected to serve.

Native representation strengthens that effort, but educating Congress is a responsibility we all share. Every congressional office should understand that Tribal Nations are governments with inherent sovereign authority and a government-to-government relationship with the United States. Federal trust and treaty obligations must guide policy, regardless of which party holds the majority.

Every office should also understand what Tribal government gaming makes possible. Our enterprises support essential services, employment, infrastructure, education, health care, and opportunities for future generations. Behind every policy debate are communities depending on the resources their governments generate. When lawmakers understand that connection, they better understand why we defend this industry with such determination.

Voters brought concerns about the cost of living, the direction of the country, and accountability to this election. Our communities share those concerns. As Congress develops its agenda, we must explain how respect for Tribal self-determination supports practical solutions, stronger local economies, and the ability of our governments to respond to the needs of our own people today.

Our work cannot wait until the next Congress takes office. The remaining weeks of the current Congress present immediate challenges. The lame duck session will bring decisions on federal funding, defense legislation, and proposals that could substantially change federal permitting requirements. Indian Country must remain engaged throughout that process.

The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act raises serious concerns about protections for Tribal participation, cultural resources, and access to judicial review. Tribal Nations and national Tribal organizations have warned against provisions that weaken our ability to protect places and resources fundamental to our communities. We must insist that Congress hear those concerns before moving forward.

Efficiency cannot become an excuse to diminish Tribal sovereignty or bypass meaningful consultation. Our governments must have a meaningful opportunity to participate in decisions affecting our lands, resources, and sacred places. Congress should work directly with Tribal Nations on solutions that honor those responsibilities. We must bring that message to members of both parties.

Federal appropriations demand the same attention. As Congress considers funding for fiscal year 2027, our priorities must remain visible. Whether lawmakers complete an agreement or extend temporary funding, the United States’ obligations to Tribal Nations continue. Political transitions cannot become a reason to put our communities’ needs aside.

Looking toward the 120th Congress, accountability for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission must be a central priority. The expansion of sports event contracts through prediction markets presents a direct challenge to the framework that protects Tribal government gaming. IGA’s position remains clear: calling a gambling product a financial contract does not erase the sovereign rights of Tribal Nations.

We have consistently opposed efforts to use federal commodities oversight to sidestep Tribal gaming authority and the protections established under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Congress must understand the consequences of allowing these platforms to expand while disregarding the governments whose authority and communities are affected.

Recent litigation has underscored the importance of defending those rights. Tribal Nations taking these issues to court deserve our gratitude and continued support. But litigation alone cannot carry the entire responsibility. Our work must continue in congressional offices, committee hearings, regulatory proceedings, and direct discussions with federal officials.

The next Congress should examine the CFTC’s actions, demand clear answers about its treatment of Tribal authority, and scrutinize efforts to enable sports betting through prediction markets. Where statutory changes are necessary, we must work with congressional leaders, Tribal governments, and state partners to pursue them. Oversight must produce accountability, and accountability must lead to meaningful protection.

That requires preparation. We should enter meetings with specific requests, clear explanations, and examples from our communities. Invite members of Congress to see what Tribal government gaming supports. Help their staff understand our regulatory systems. Explain how decisions about event contracts affect sovereign authority, public services, and economic opportunity. Follow up until our concerns are understood and addressed.

Unity gives that work its strength. Gaming and nongaming Tribal Nations share an interest in protecting the authority of our governments. We may bring different circumstances and priorities, but we can stand together when that authority is threatened. Our ability to coordinate, share information, and support one another makes our advocacy stronger.

At the Indian Gaming Association, we will continue working alongside Tribal leaders, our member Nations, and partner organizations to carry this effort forward. We must listen closely, communicate clearly, and make it easier for our members to engage. The work belongs to all of us, and every contribution matters.

The leaders who established Tribal government gaming understood that progress required courage, persistence, and collective action. They built opportunities that strengthened our Nations. Our responsibility is to protect that foundation and carry it forward with the same determination.

The election has opened another chapter. What we do next will help determine whether that chapter strengthens our sovereignty and protects the future of Tribal government gaming. We have relationships to build, lawmakers to educate, and responsibilities to fulfill.

Indian Country has always been strongest when we stand together. We honor the leadership that brought us here by continuing the work to protect Tribal sovereignty and Tribal government gaming.

Together, we still have work to do. We are ready to carry it forward, together. Let’s go – yəhaw’