NCUIH Submits Written Testimony to House Interior Appropriations with FY23 Budget Requests for Urban Indian Health

The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) submitted written testimony for Tribal Public Witnesses to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies regarding Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding for Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs). On January 28, 2022, the Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member requested information from “Indian Country on issues and needs” that is used to develop the annual appropriations bill.

NCUIH advocated in its testimony for additional resources for the Indian Health Service and urban Indian Health.

In the testimony, NCUIH requested the following:

$48 billion for the Indian Health Service and $950 million for Urban Indian Health for FY23 (as requested by the Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup)
Advance appropriations for IHS
UIOs be insulated from unrelated budgetary disputes through a spend faster anomaly so that critical funding is not halted

NCUIH reiterated, “The federal government owes a trust responsibility to tribes and AI/ANs that is not restricted to the borders of reservations. Funding for Indian health must be significantly increased if the federal government is, to finally, and faithfully, fulfill its trust responsibility.”

NEXT STEPS:

The testimony will be read and considered by the subcommittee as the appropriations process goes forward for FY23. The Subcommittee has not yet announced dates for the hearings on the FY 23 budget.