Congressman Kildee said, “Working with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and our Senate colleagues, we made certain that the Recovery bill includes funding to stimulate reservation economies to address tribal infrastructure needs and to promote job creation. It is important that we honor the government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes in this bill and that the funds intended for reservation economies be provided directly to Indian tribes so that they may begin to address their dire economic conditions.”

 

“While most Americans have never encountered the harsh economic conditions that our Nation is faced with today, this crisis is nothing new for our First Americans.  Inclusion of funding for Indian Country in the economic recovery measure provides the Congress and the new Administration with an opportunity to change this situation and ensure the fulfillment of our treaty and trust responsibilities.  This funding will go a long way toward providing jobs to Native communities while addressing the most basic and pressing health care, infrastructure, housing, education, and safety needs,” said U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over Indian affairs.

 

Below is a listing of the significant areas in the stimulus package from which Indian country will greatly benefit.  It is not intended to be a complete and comprehensive list, but it demonstrates that President Obama and Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate are committed to working together to assist Indian country during this difficult time.  These resources are in addition to, and not in place of, regular appropriated funding to Indian tribes.

 

Bureau of Indian Affairs - $500 million

**$40 million for workforce training and Housing Improvement Program

**$450 million for construction including

roads - repair and restoration

school - major and minor improvements

school replacement

detention center repair and maintenance

**$10 million for Indian Guaranteed Loan Program

 

Indian Health Service - $500 million

**$85 million for Health Information Technology upgrades

**$415 million for Health Facilities including

$227 million for Construction

$100 million for maintenance and improvement projects

$68 million for sanitation facilities

$20 million for general health equipment purchases

 

Department of Health and Human Services

            **$5 billion for the Emergency Contingency Fund for State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). For purposes of this section, Indian tribes are treated as States.

           

            Includes a provision that the Secretary shall include a representative of a national urban Indian health organization and a representative of the Indian Health Service on the Tribal Technical Advisory Group within the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

 

Environmental Protection Agency - $90 million

For capitalization grants pursuant to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program and the Safe Drinking Water Act

 

Department of Agriculture - $5 million

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

 

Department of Justice - $225 million

**$225 million for grants pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act

**$1 billion for Community Oriented Policing Services program which tribes are eligible to compete for funds

Department of Transportation - $327.25 million

**$310 million for Indian Reservation Roads

            **$17.25 million for Tribal Transit Set-Aside

 

Department of Education

**$10 billion for grants to school districts serving low-income students under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), of which a portion is reserved for Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools

 

**$3 billion for grants to school districts for school improvement under ESEA, of which a portion is reserved for Bureau-funded schools

 

**$650 million for education technology grants, of which .75 percent is reserved for Bureau-funded schools

 

**$1 billion for Head Start (the formula for distributing Head Start funds includes a priority for Indian and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs)

 

**$1.1 billion for Early Head Start (including direction to the Secretary to ensure that Indian Early Head Start programs receive funds)

 

**$100 million for school facilities under Impact Aid

 

**An increase in the Pell Grant to help low-income students attend college (the grant will increase from $4731 in the 2008-09 school year to $5350 in 2009-10 and $5550 in 2010-11). 

 

**Approximately $48.6 billion for grants to states to offset state cuts in education and other areas, of which 82 percent will go to school districts and public colleges, including those serving Indian students.  The remaining 18 percent can be used by governors for public safety and other services, including education.

 

Department of Commerce

Indian tribes are eligible for the broadband technology opportunities program, which is designed to extend broadband to underserved areas and for other purposes.

Department of Housing and Urban Development - $510 million

Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act

$510 million in grants for new construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and infrastructure development

  

Department of the Treasury

            **$2 billion in tax-exempt bonding authority has been provided to Indian tribes for non-gaming related, on-reservation projects.

 

            **$200 million in tax credit bonding authority has been extended to Indian tribes for the purpose of construction, rehabilitation, and repair of Bureau of Indian Affairs funded schools