Tribal leaders urge Congress to secure IHS, BIA and EPA funding, boost public safety and finish water settlements

WASHINGTON — Tribal leaders from Montana to New York told the House Appropriations subcommittee on (Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies) at a public witness hearing that proposed federal cuts and staffing changes are worsening crises in health care, public safety, water and infrastructure on reservations.

Representatives of Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy, Fort Peck, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Seneca Nation, Northern Cheyenne and dozens of other tribal governments urged the committee to shield Indian Health Service (IHS), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding from sequestration or broad personnel reductions and to expand advanced appropriations and mandatory funding where possible.

Why it matters: Tribal leaders said federal budget instability and personnel losses disrupt essential services — from clinic operations to on‑reservation law enforcement — and aggravate public‑health and public‑safety emergencies that tribes cannot solve without sustained federal support.

Tribal officials repeatedly asked the subcommittee to exempt funding and personnel tied to treaty and trust obligations from across‑the‑board cuts. Harlan Baker, chairman of Rocky Boy, told the committee that ‘‘the federal trust and treaty obligation must be fulfilled regardless of broader budgetary concerns’’ and urged protection of IHS and BIA budgets to prevent further harm to patient care and public safety.

Law enforcement and detention Northern Cheyenne President (name given as) James Small and other leaders described severe law‑and‑order shortfalls tied to BIA Office of Justice Services funding. Northern Cheyenne requested a…