Bering Straits Native Corporation Representative: “Participation in federal contracting has been one of the most effective tools Congress has provided to [provide] real, measurable outcomes for our communities”
As Alaska Native leaders traveled to DC to defend the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) business development program – a program that is “one of the most effective tools” that strengthens Native self-determination and delivers “tangible” benefits to communities across our state – Dan Sullivan is allowing the federal government to take a “sledgehammer” to a program that proves “real, measurable outcomes for our communities.”
“Dan Sullivan can’t be bothered to stand up for Alaskans as DC takes a sledgehammer to an economic program that is critical for supporting Alaska Native businesses,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “Self-serving Sullivan is clearly far too focused on lining his own pockets than defending the Alaska Native communities he is supposed to represent. If Sullivan won’t fight for the federal resources that Alaska relies on, he doesn’t deserve to represent us – which is why Alaskans will show him the door this November.”
Watch:
KTUU: ‘It isn’t a shortcut or a loophole’: Alaska Native corporations defend 8(a) contracts
By Rebecca Palsha
February 12, 2026
KTUU’s REBECCA PALSHA: Alaska Native Corporations defended a program that often benefits their shareholders. It happened this week in DC.
8(a) business development programs are overseen by the Small Business Administration and these programs are often a critical part of the business portfolios for many Alaska native corporations because of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act which was created to benefit tribal members holding shares in the companies.
But, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says that many of these programs are swamp code words for DEI race-based contracts. […] He said that 8(a) contracts will go through what he says is a line-by-line review of small business sole source contracts that are over $20 million.
Read more:
KNOM: Alaska Native Corporations push back as Pentagon targets 8(a) program
By Ben Townsend
February 12, 2026
When U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in January he was taking a “sledgehammer” to the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) business development program, alarms bells went off at Alaska Native corporations. Representatives of corporations and tribes flocked to Washington D.C. in the weeks that followed to advocate for the importance of the program.
In a video posted to X, Secretary Hegseth called the program “the oldest DEI program in the federal government”.
Last week, Bering Straits’ SVP of Growth and Strategy, Haven Harris, testified in front of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. Harris also serves as co-chair of the Native American Contractors Association, which represents 45 organizations and more than 1 million tribal members.
“Our mission is to strengthen native self determination through participation in federal contracting grounded in the unique political and legal relationship between native peoples and the federal government,” Harris told the committee. “The Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program is central to this mission.”
Harris told the committee that in the 2024 fiscal year, 8(a) eligible businesses received over $26.2 billion in federal contracts, good for about 4% of all federal contracts that fiscal year. He said in the case of Alaska Native corporations, profits from 8(a) contracts are poured back into the communities the corporations serve.
“Participation in federal contracting has been one of the most effective tools Congress has provided to turn that model into real, measurable outcomes for our communities. For the Bering Straits Native Corporation and Alaska Native Corp, these benefits are tangible,” Harris said.
Harris ended his testimony by calling on Congress to retain the 8(a) program.
“Until every native who wants to work has access to meaningful employment, the program must be protected. And until native children have a quality of life comparable to other Americans, this program must be protected,” Harris said.
In a January memo, Secretary Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to do a line-by-line review of 8(a) contracts worth over $20 million. He called on the review to find contracts that are “inconsistent with the DoW’s warfighting priorities”.
KTUU: ‘It isn’t a shortcut or a loophole’: Alaska Native corporations defend 8(a) contracts
By Rebecca Palsha
February 12, 2026
Alaska Native leaders and members of Congress are pushing back after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized 8(a) contracts, calling them a vehicle for “DEI” […]
These programs are often a critical part of the business portfolios for many Alaska Native corporations because of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act which was created to benefit tribal members holding shares in the companies.
But, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says many of these programs are “swamp code words for DEI, race based contacts,” […]
Hegseth said 8(a) contracts will go through a “line-by-line,” review of small business sole source contracts over $20 million.
Katherine Carlton, the president of Chugach Alaska Corporation, said her corporation delivered $32.6 million in community and shareholder benefits last year. She said that benefited education, workforce training, cultural preservation and economic stability in rural Alaska.
“This work is awarded not by preference, but because of our proven performance, cost discipline, and reliability under strict oversight,” Carlton said. “The 8(a) program gives federal agencies lawful, accountable options when urgency and efficiency matter. In practice, sole source 8A awards often execute in 30 to 60 days, compared to 12 to 18 months for traditional procurement, reducing administrative cost, overhead, and mission delay. Sole source authority is often misunderstood, but it isn’t a shortcut or a loophole.”