Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has applied a line-item veto of $2.7 million from the Navajo Nation Council’s recent continuing resolution. This move mainly cuts funding for off-Navajo Nation travel while maintaining financial support for veterans, elders, domestic violence shelters, and scholarships. Nygren criticized the resolution for its mixed approach, providing full fiscal year funding for some departments and only half-year funding for others. According to the Office of the President and Vice President of Navajo Nation.
President Nygren has expressed concerns about the Council's alleged violation of an established budget process that has historically involved a Three Branch Chiefs agreement. Tensions escalated when the Council quickly passed a resolution, which Nygren stated in the announcement "is not how Navajo Nation legislation should be treated." The resolution was unanimously approved on September 17, a decision the President found troubling due to the absence of meaningful debate or deliberation. As a result, Nygren has urged the Council to properly adopt a comprehensive budget in accordance with Navajo law by November.
In his detailed nine-page veto message, Nygren outlined his reasons for the vetoes and the impact of the Council’s actions on government operations. The situation now requires Navajo employees to navigate the complexities of the hybrid resolution, which could detract from their service to the Navajo people. The President asserts that without a comprehensive budget based on the Three Branch Chiefs Agreement, the government cannot effectively adjust its allocations, as noted by the Office of the President and Vice President of Navajo Nation. Consequently, he has vetoed specific funding components to prioritize the development of a comprehensive budget that will adequately serve the Navajo Nation.
In response to the vetoes and the President's message, Candace Begody-Slim, President Nygren's legal counsel, noted that the President had hoped the Council would adhere to the traditional practice of collaborating with the executive on budget approval. The current resolution has been labeled as hybrid. Additionally, President Nygren has committed to enhancing transparency by requesting Navajo Nation Controller Sean McCabe to report all travel-related expenses and reimbursements for key Nation officials, addressing criticisms regarding his own travel expenditures.
