WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The standoff between Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and the 25th Navajo Nation Council stretched into the evening hours of Sept. 30, with no apparent resolution to the upcoming fiscal year budget in sight.
Nygren issued public statements that the Council alleges are an attempt to shift blame to the Navajo Nation Council regarding the Navajo Nation’s Fiscal Year 2026 Comprehensive Budget. In a press release from the Council, they state that the president’s line-item vetoes, not the Council’s actions, eliminated critical operational funding for the Legislative Branch and other government services, resulting in the current budget shortfalls.
The Council approved legislation on Sept. 25 to restore the funding, including 28 staff positions, and to address budget needs within the Judicial Branch that directly impact Navajo families, communities, and courts.
However, Nygren reportedly continues to refuse to sign the resolution while he demands $1.5 million more for his office. The Council has already approved $5.5 million for his office — $5.2 million to fund at least 40 staff positions and nearly $300,000 for operations.
Nygren stated in a public post that the funding covers the Office of the Public Defender, the Department of Personnel Management, the Office of Navajo Labor Relations, the School Clothing Program, the Office of the Public Defender, and the Office of Navajo Labor Relations.
The Council said they provided overwhelming budgetary support for the Office of the President and Vice President since Nygren took office in 2023, increasing funding for OPVP by 68%, including an increase of over $606,000 in the FY2026 budget.
With no action being taken on the budget by the end of Sept. 30, those 28 legislative branch employees risk losing their jobs, and the legislative and judicial branches won’t have funding to support essential government operations and services.
On Sept. 4, the Council unanimously passed the FY2026 Comprehensive Budget after months of discussions and meetings. But rather than working in partnership with the Council during the regular budget process, Nygren submitted an inflated request for his own office and subsequently vetoed funding that directly impacts Legislative Branch operations and employment.
The Office of Legislative Counsel has determined that legislation being pushed by Nygren does not qualify as an emergency measure under Title II of the Navajo Nation Code.
Nygren made a last-minute effort to engage with the Council on Sept. 25, and continued to demand that he be given $1.5 million more in the budget. Delegates, chapters, and the Navajo people continue to raise concerns over audit findings and allegations of misuse of public funds within OPVP.
Under the guidance of the Office of Legislative Counsel, Legislation No. 0225-25 was introduced on Sept. 29 seeking over $4 million for OPVP and other Executive Branch programs, which will be eligible for legislative committee action on Oct. 5, ensuring transparency and the opportunity for the Navajo people to submit public comments.
“The Council did its job. We passed a comprehensive budget and another legislation that funds programs and employees. The President chose to veto funding for the Legislative Branch and is now blaming others for the consequences of his own actions,” Speaker Crystalyne Curley said. “We won’t allow misinformation to confuse our people. The Council will continue working to restore stability and jobs in the budget through the proper legislative process.”
Meanwhile, the President insists the blame for the budget lies with the Council.
“It’s important to note that our budget stalemate has been created by the politics of Speaker Curley and some Navajo Nation Council members,” Nygren said. “If there is any picketing to protest the failure to adequately fund the entire Navajo Nation government, I will picket with you to get the Council to pass this budget legislation.”
But even at this impasse, he called for unity among the Navajo Nation Government.
“Council voiced concerns, and I responded immediately,” he said. “We will continue to listen and act, because our government only works when all three branches serve our people together.”
