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Tribal leaders press Congress to protect funding, advance self-determination at NCAI Unity Impact Days
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Summary
At a National Congress of American Indians briefing in Washington, tribal leaders warned that rescissions and continuing resolutions threaten health, housing and infrastructure programs; they urged Congress and the administration to safeguard funding, advance NAHASDA reauthorization and restore advance appropriations for tribal programs.
Tribal leaders told a packed briefing at the Embassy of Tribal Nations that federal budget moves such as rescissions, clawbacks and continuing resolutions are already disrupting services and could do lasting harm to tribal health care, housing and infrastructure.
Levi Rickert of Native News Online moderated the presubmitted question-and-answer session. Panelists included the chairman of the Indian Gaming Association, Ernest Stevens Jr.; Chief Chuck Hoskins Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; and representatives from tribal organizations and industry. The National Congress of American Indians’ president opened the session and framed the week’s Hill meetings as bipartisan engagement on long-standing tribal priorities.
“NCAI’s message this week has been clear and nonpartisan. Consultation must be early and meaningful. Investments must match obligations,” the NCAI president said, urging timely, full-year appropriations rather than stopgap continuing resolutions.
Speakers repeatedly described concrete impacts of held-back funds. Chief Hoskins said the Cherokee Nation faces about $26,000,000 in cuts and “about 20,000,000 more,” and warned smaller, lower-margin tribes could see services interrupted. Chairman Stevens and an Indian Gaming Association representative said projects ranging from solar energy installations to community infrastructure have been delayed after tribes invested millions preparing projects now held up by federal budget actions; the IGA cited roughly $506,000,000 in solar-related projects as an example given in the briefing.
Panelists singled out health care and public safety as particularly vulnerable to uncertainty. The briefing reiterated the value of advanced appropriations for the Indian Health Service, a change advocates said took a decade to secure and now faces risk if broader budget practices persist. Participants also urged Treasury and agency leaders to finalize technical regulations affecting tribal entities, with a Treasury representative described as saying rules may be finalized by year end.
Speakers highlighted legislative items discussed on the Hill: the 50th anniversary of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act was noted as a moment for reflection and expansion of tribal self-governance; panelists reported a planned reintroduction of boarding-school truth and healing legislation; and they cited movement toward reauthorizing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), though panelists did not provide finalized funding figures or enactment timelines.
Throughout the briefing, panelists framed their advocacy as nonpartisan and focused on examples of successful tribal governance—taking an IHS facility into tribal control in Claremore, Okla., building roads under federal agreements and operating wellness centers—to argue that returning program authority to tribes yields better outcomes.
The discussion closed with the announcement of a Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty to unify tribal subject-matter organizations and with NCAI’s intent to make Tribal Unity Impact Days an ongoing, annual advocacy fixture.
What’s next: panelists said they will continue outreach to members of Congress and administration officials ahead of FY26 appropriations decisions; they urged reporters and officials to follow the status of NAHASDA reauthorization, any movement on advanced appropriations for BIA and IHS funding, and final Treasury regulations affecting tribal entities.
