Title: Support for $220 million increase over the President’s Proposed FY 2001 Indian Health Service Budget for a total FY 2001 increase of $450 million.

 

WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest and largest national organization established in 1944 and comprised of representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and local Tribal concerns; and

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of NCAI; and,

WHEREAS, the Indian Health Service is the federal agency with the responsibility to fund Indian health programs operated by Tribes and by the Indian Health Service but has insufficient funds to meet the health care needs of Indian people; and,

WHEREAS, in the past 8 years the Indian Health Service budget has absorbed from $1.5 Billion to $2 Billion in mandatory cost increases due to inflation, pay act cost increases, staffing for new facilities, and population growth; and

WHEREAS, the Indian Health Service consulted with Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian health organizations including the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Health Board, the Tribal Self Governance Advisory Committee, the National Council of Urban Indian Health, and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board in the development of the FY 2001 budget; and

WHEREAS, the Budget formulation team made funding mandatory cost increases their first priority; and

WHEREAS, the Budget formulation team developed a FY 2001 $15.1 billion budget (that includes a nonrecurring amount of $7 Billion for facilities) that would fully fund all the health needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives at the recurring amount of $8.1 billion annually (in year 2000 dollars); and

WHEREAS, the FY 2001 President’s budget request of $2.62 Billion is $120 million short of an increase that would fully fund mandatory cost increases for inflation, staffing new facilities, population growth, and maintaining current facilities needs; and

WHEREAS, tribes fully support the President’s desire to address health disparities resulting from the poor health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives and believes the budget should include at least $100 million as an incremental step to fully fund the $8.1 billion (year 2000 dollars) needs based budget; and

WHEREAS, a FY 2001 increase of $450 million (or 18.8% over FY 2000) is necessary in order to phase in needs-based budget over a ten year period,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians supports the FY 2001 IHS Budget submitted by the Indian Health Service and requests that the Congress and President add $220 million for a total Indian Health Service Budget of $2,840,429 for FY 2001.

CERTIFICATION

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2000 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Centennial Hall in Juneau, Alaska on June 25-28, 2000 with a quorum present.

_____________________________

Susan Masten, President

Juana Majel, Recording Secretary

Adopted by the General Assembly during the 2000 Mid-Year Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Centennial Hall in Juneau, Alaska on June 25-28, 2000.