Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
ICT
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate officially confirmed Mark Cruz to be the next Indian Health Service director under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Friday.
Cruz, Klamath Tribes, was one of 74 Trump nominations confirmed in a 51-47 Senate vote before leaving town and returning in September.
The White House nominated Cruz in early June for a four-year term. He testified in front of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs June 24.
Screengrab from the Senate live feed on August 7, 2026. (ICT)
The IHS director role has had two acting directors since former IHS Director Roselyn Tso, Navajo, resigned January 17, 2025. Benjamin Smith, Navajo, and Clayton Fulton, Cherokee, both temporarily took on the director responsibilities and duties.
Before Cruz’s nomination, he served as senior advisor in the Immediate Office of the Secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cruz stated in his June testimony.
He also said that if he was confirmed, he would work to improve care for tribes and Native people, including advance appropriations, reducing the staff vacancy rate, modernizing the electronic health record systems, improving purchased/referred care, and more.
“My vision for the Indian Health Service aligns with the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget
Request,” he told the Indian affairs committee.
“I firmly believe that tribal consultation is a process, not an event. Tribal leaders and
Congress can count on me to engage early, listen carefully, and be transparent. I am
realistic about the challenges but optimistic about what we can achieve together,” he testified. “With strong federal, tribal, and urban Indian health partners, outcomes will continue to improve.
We see this in the return to traditional first foods, Secretary Kennedy’s work to address
chronic disease, the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, and ongoing efforts against
Alzheimer’s, liver disease, cancer, kidney disease, and other conditions that
disproportionately affect our people.”
Cruz has a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Pepperdine University.
He previously served as deputy assistant secretary for policy and economic development for Indian affairs at the U.S. Department of Interior and worked for former Republican Rep. Todd Rokita of Indiana and Republican Rep. Tom Cole, Chickasaw, of Oklahoma.
Cruz has also worked for the Oregon House Republican Caucus and was an aide for the U.S. Department of Education.
The IHS director oversees that comprehensive health care is provided to approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives from 575 federally recognized tribes as part of the treaty and trust responsibilities from the United States federal government.
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