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Opening Statement — Chair Teresa Leger Fernández, Legislative Hearing on H.R. 5549

Summary

The opening statement of Chair Teresa Leger Fernández for a Legislative Hearing on H.R. 5549 before the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States. She honors the legacy of Don Young, the Dean of the House, and says H.R. 5549, the Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act, would authorize advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service by amending the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The statement says the Indian Health Service is charged with serving 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, that during the 2018-2019 shutdown it was the only federally funded health care entity to face funding gaps, and that the last time it received a full-year appropriation on time was in 1997.

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“Opening Statement — Chair Teresa Leger Fernández, Legislative Hearing on H.R. 5549.” Original at docs.house.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/hhrg-117-ii24-mstate-l000273-20220728-fa7324fce3ff-22b40dc073/, SHA-256 fa7324fce3ffebc832c1ef34f38b7d5b2932c4914f49a2ebcbc07c785357aad1.

Full text

Chair Teresa Leger Fernández             Legislative Hearing on H.R. 5549

Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States
                       Opening Statement


  •   Good afternoon and thank you for joining us during this busy
      week. I’m honored to recognize the legacy and work of the Dean
      of the House, Don Young, who was committed to fulfilling the
      trust responsibility to provide healthcare to American Indians and
      Alaska Natives.
  •   Today we will hear testimony on his bipartisan bill, H.R. 5549, the
      Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act.
  •   H.R. 5549 will authorize advance appropriations for the Indian
      Health Service (IHS) by amending the Indian Health Care
      Improvement Act - meaning IHS could receive appropriations for
      two fiscal years in succession.
  •   IHS is charged with serving 2.6 million American Indians and
      Alaska Natives with health care, including many of the
      communities I represent in New Mexico.
  •   Earlier this Congress, this subcommittee held a hearing focused on
      federal facilities that serve tribal communities. During that hearing,
      we discussed the impacts of inadequate facilities and the
      limitations they provide for health care due to lack of federal
      funding.
  •   I was glad to see President Biden’s budget request include
      mandatory funding for IHS to meet these needs. Now we in
      Congress must act.
  •   Today’s hearing will focus on how the current status of yearly IHS
      appropriations burdens IHS, tribal governments, Urban Indian
      Organizations, and American Indian and Alaska Native
      communities.
  •   It has become a practice for Congress to fund the IHS and most
      federal agencies for portions of each year through Continuing
      Resolutions - or C.R.s. The continued use of C.R.s limits IHS’
    activities and longer-term, inhibits planning and the efficient use of
    resources.
•   Additionally, when government shutdowns occur, the fiscal burden
    is not on the federal government to address tribal needs. Tribal
    governments must either cut services or use their own funding to
    cover federally funded programs without the expectation of
    reimbursement.
•   During the 2018-2019 shutdown, IHS was the only federally
    funded health care entity to face funding gaps. It is no secret that
    IHS has not received full funding, and that is before the COVID-19
    pandemic. The last time IHS received a full-year appropriation on
    time was in 1997 - 25 years ago.
•   This is why our hearing today is critical. H.R. 5549 will ensure
    IHS has the funding to adequately provide American Indians and
    Alaska Native health care and cover the accounts of Indian Health
    Services, Indian Health Facilities, Contract Support Costs, and
    Payments for Tribal Leases despite C.R.s or government
    shutdowns.
•   When our esteemed colleague Don Young was lain in state, I was
    asked by many what he was working on.
•   I believe today’s hearing and the advancement of this bipartisan
    bill honors his years of work.
•   I call on my colleagues who have spoken so eloquently of his time
    in Congress to fulfill his legacy by supporting this legislation.
•   I thank our witnesses for joining us today and look forward to
    hearing our witnesses’ testimony.

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