Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate Indian Affairs hearing spotlights IHS funding shortfalls, maternal-child health and behavioral-health needs
Summary
Witnesses told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that the Indian Health Service and tribal health programs remain chronically underfunded, citing an estimated $63 billion full‑funding figure for IHS and urgent gaps in maternal, infant and behavioral health services.
Leaders of tribal health and national Native organizations told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that chronic underfunding of the Indian Health Service (IHS) and workforce shortages endanger American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian patients and communities.
The hearing opened with a call to uphold the federal trust and treaty responsibility to tribal nations, then turned to health priorities. "Reduction to an already short‑staffed healthcare provider does not honor the legal and political obligations made to tribal nations and puts lives at risk," Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of American Indians, said in his prepared remarks.
Chief William Smith, chairperson and Alaska area representative for the National Indian Health Board, told senators the Indian health system…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
