WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on the Fiscal Year 2018 funding legislation, which includes significant investments in programs and services for Indian Country. The bill increases funding for the Indian Health Service by 10 percent and for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education by 7 percent. It also includes a Hoeven-backed provision requiring a set-aside from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) be provided directly to Indian tribes. This amounts to nearly $132 million per year for tribal victim assistance resources.
“This funding measure makes important investments in tribal communities and demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to honoring our trust responsibility to Native Americans,” said Hoeven. “These responsible funding increases for key Indian programs – including health care, infrastructure, education and public safety – will help ensure tribes have the resources to build strong economies and communities. My provision to establish a tribal set-aside from the Crime Victims Fund will expand Indian tribes’ access to funding for critical victim resources and support culturally tailored victim assistance programs. This represents a positive step forward in helping to advance my bipartisan SURVIVE Act, which would provide even more resources to support tribal victims of crime.”
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is funded at $5.5 billion, a $498 increase from FY 2017. Highlights include:
- $167.5 million for IHS facilities maintenance and improvement and $243.5 million for facilities construction, a $322 million increase from FY 2017 for IHS infrastructure
- $962.7 million for purchased and referred care
- $717.8 million to fully fund contract support costs
- $58 million for accreditation emergencies
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) are funded at $3.1 billion, a $204 million increase from FY 2017. Highlights include:
- $914 million for Indian education
- $238 million for BIE infrastructure, including schools and educational facilities
- $34.6 million for road maintenance
- $24.6 million for irrigation construction and $38.2 million for dam safety and maintenance
- $9.2 million for the Indian loan guarantee program
- $405.5 million for public safety and justice programs
Indian Housing Programs
The legislation also includes $655 million for the Indian Housing Block Grant, $65 million for the Indian Community Development Block Grant and an additional $100 million for competitive grants for eligible tribal recipients under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA). This amounts to $820 million in overall funding for Indian housing programs, which will help ensure individuals throughout Indian Country have greater access to safe and affordable homes
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