Update: Plaintiffs in ICWA Litigation Petition Court for Rehearing

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On October 1, Plaintiffs in Brackeen v. Bernhardt, the case centering on the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), filed petitions for rehearing of the case en banc. Essentially, the Plaintiffs are asking the entire 17-member U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to rehear the case, in effect setting aside the decision a panel of three Fifth Circuit judges issued in August.

As previously reported, in its August decision the court overturned a District Court finding that held ICWA unconstitutional declaring it creates a separate set of practices for a racial group. In doing so, the Fifth Circuit affirmed that ICWA and its implementing regulations are constitutional, recognizing the unique political status of tribes, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. On October 2, the court ordered the U.S. and Intervenor Tribes (Cherokee Nation, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Oneida Nation, Quinault Indian Nation, and Navajo Nation) to respond to the petitions by Tuesday, October 15.

During the 2018 litigation, NCUIH joined an amicus brief with nearly 400 Indian organizations and tribes in support of ICWA. Typically, courts deny petitions for rehearing and leave the court’s prior decision to stand. However, there is no guarantee. The court could choose to rehear aspects of the case, the mechanics of which (timing, extent of new briefing, etc.) the court would subsequently determine, or it could change parts of its decision without even granting the petition.

NCUIH will continue to monitor progress in the case, along with other amici curiae, and will provide updates as we receive them. It is important to note that although the Fifth Circuit will first have to act on the petition for rehearing, Plaintiffs will still be able to petition the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

White House Expected to Sign Short Term Renewal by Sept. 30 with Funding for SDPI through November 21

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The Senate cleared the bill today and it now heads to the President for a signature.

  • Today, the Senate cleared the stopgap government funding bill and it now awaits the President’s signature. The bill is a Continuing Resolution (CR) that will keep the government open beyond September 30, when it is set to expire, through November 21. The CR that moved forward in the Senate today and the House version include funding for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) and other public health extenders through November 21, 2019.
  • The bill will keep the government operating at current levels giving Congress five legislative weeks to negotiate the Fiscal Year 2020 budget and departmental appropriations.
  • The President is expected to sign the bill before the funding expires on September 30 and will avert a government shutdown.

 Current Legislation

For questions, comments or concerns, feel free to contact NCUIH Director of Congressional Relations Carla Lott at cmlott@ncuih.org.

House Subcommittee Reviews the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act

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A legislative hearing was held on H.R. 4153.

September 19, 2019 (Washington, DC) – On Thursday, September 19, 2019, the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States held a Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4153 (Rep. Ro Khanna), “Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act” in 1324 Longworth. Expert witness testimony was provided by Sonya Tetnowski (Makah), Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley in California, Vice President of the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH), President of the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health (CCUIH).

“Serving our urban Native Veterans is not a partisan issue – it is an obligation of the United States government to our veterans and American Indians and Alaska Natives. We are glad to see Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle come together to take action to help Native veterans in urban areas receive greater access to health care. Thank you to Chairman Ruben Gallego and Ranking Member Paul Cook for conducting a hearing and bringing NCUIH as an expert witness. We look forward to seeing the full Committee take up this legislation soon,” said NCUIH Executive Director Francys Crevier.

Representative Ro Khanna and Senator Tom Udall, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act, a bill to improve health care access for Native American Veterans by providing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) coverage for care that Native American Veterans receive at urban Indian health centers.  This legislation would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the VA to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans. According to the VA, 61% of Native American veterans do not reside in rural areas.

VA-IHS MOU Background

Bill Background

NCUIH Submits Comments to IHS on a Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Opioids Grant Program

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On Tuesday, September 3, NCUIH submitted comments to the Indian Health Service (IHS) on its Urban Confer regarding FY 2019 opioid funding for a Special Behavioral Health Pilot Program (SBHPP).  In the comments, NCUIH provided the following recommendations:

In the comments, NCUIH provided the following recommendations:

  • The SBHPP objectives should be clearly stated and well-designed to address the opioid epidemic, and include sufficient flexibility
  • The SBHPP must be flexible and allow creativity in program design in order to be most effective
  • Adequate funding for UIOs to combat the opioid epidemic is key to advancing the goal of quality data collection and evaluation
  • It is important that any effectiveness measures are not prescriptive and allow for flexibility because using a sole metric may work well in some areas but for a variety of reasons not be an adequate representation of success in others
  • Sufficient data and appropriate evaluation metrics are important for the longevity of the program

The comments reiterated support for a SBHPP and the importance that UIOs be included in any such program design.

ICWA Held Constitutional in a Big Win for Indian Country

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Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) constitutional, overturning a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Last October, a U.S. district judge declared ICWA unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, arguing that it creates a separate set of practices for a racial group. The Brackeen v. Bernhardt case was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where NCUIH joined nearly 400 Tribes and Indian organizations in filing an amicus curiae brief in support of ICWA’s constitutionality.

In its opinion filed today, the Court rendered judgment in favor of the defendants (the federal government and four tribes) on all claims. The Court held that ICWA is constitutional because: it is based on a political classification that is rationally related to the fulfillment of Congress’s unique obligation toward Indians; ICWA preempts conflicting state laws and does not violate the Tenth Amendment anticommandeering doctrine; and ICWA does not violate the nondelegation doctrine. The court also concluded that a Bureau of Indian Affairs Final Rule implementing ICWA is valid and constitutional.

Tribal leaders, Indian organizations, child advocates, and attorneys specializing in Indian law had been concerned that if the Texas ruling were upheld, it could have opened the door to constitutional challenges of other federal laws based on the special political relationship between AI/ANs and the U.S. government – including laws and regulations affecting health care, housing, criminal jurisdiction, gaming, and the environment.

Recent federal actions related to Medicaid and Native American Housing Block Grants have also signaled that a redefinition of “Indian” as racial could be used to take away benefits that fulfill the federal government’s trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native people.

You can view the opinion here.

UIO Call to Action Toolkit: Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act

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Call to Action: Ask Congress to Authorize the VA to Reimburse UIOs for Health Care

Representative Ro Khanna and Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act, a bill to improve health care access for Native American Veterans by providing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) coverage for care that Native American Veterans receive at urban Indian health centers.  This legislation would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the VA to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans. To ensure that the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act receives as much support as possible, we encourage you to contact your Member of Congress and request that they sign on as a cosponsor of this bill (if they have not already).

Write to Your House Member

Please use the following text below as a template to call or email to your Representatives. You should call and email your representative; you can find your representative here.

Dear Representative [ ],

On behalf of [program] and the communities we serve, we respectfully request you sign on as a cosponsor to the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act recently introduced by Representative Ro Khanna and Senator Udall.  This bill is a critical language fix that would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans.

Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) are an integral part of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health care delivery system. However, due to an oversight in legislation UIOs are the only part of the IHS Indian/Tribal/Urban (I/T/U) system that do not receive reimbursement under the VA-IHS MOU reimbursement agreement. However, UIOs were created by Congress as a response to Tribes that wanted to ensure their members would receive quality health care off of reservations as part of the trust obligation.

The Department of Veterans Administration has stated that it cannot address the issue on its own, and that only Congress has the authority to correct this oversight. The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act of 2019 would ensure that all three branches of the I/T/U system receive reimbursement for health care services delivered to AI/AN veterans.   At [Your Program] we offer [services you provide]. With reimbursement under the VA-IHS MOU reimbursement agreement we could [expand services/hire additional staff/etc].  We hope you will become a cosponsor of the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act and show your support for the health of urban AI/AN Veterans.

For the sake of the health of American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans and the fulfillment of the U.S. trust obligation,  we request your support of this simple language fix. To sign on, please contact Mr. Will McKelvey (Will.Mckelvey@mail.house.gov ) 202-225-2631 from Congressman Ro Khanna’s office.

Sincerely, [Executive Director/CEO]

Write to Your Senator

Please use the following text below as a template to call or email to your Senators.  You can find your Senators here.

Dear Senator [ ],

On behalf of [program] and the communities we serve, we respectfully request you sign on as a cosponsor to the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act (S.2365) recently introduced by Senator Udall and Representative Ro Khanna.  This bill is a critical language fix that would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans.

Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) are an integral part of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health care delivery system. However, due to an oversight in legislation UIOs are the only part of the IHS Indian/Tribal/Urban (I/T/U) system that do not receive reimbursement under the VA-IHS MOU reimbursement agreement. However, UIOs were created by Congress as a response to Tribes that wanted to ensure their members would receive quality health care off of reservations as part of the trust obligation.

The Department of Veterans Administration has stated that it cannot address the issue on its own, and that only Congress has the authority to correct this oversight. The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act of 2019 would ensure that all three branches of the I/T/U system receive reimbursement for health care services delivered to AI/AN veterans.

At [Your Program] we offer [services you provide]. With reimbursement under the VA-IHS MOU reimbursement agreement we could [expand services/hire additional staff/etc].  We hope you will become a cosponsor of the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act and show your support for the health of urban AI/AN Veterans.

For the sake of the health of American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans and the fulfillment of the U.S. trust obligation, we request your support of this simple language fix. To sign on, please contact Ms. Kim Moxley (Kim_Moxley@indian.senate.gov ) 202-224-2251 from Senator Udall’s office.

Sincerely, [Executive Director/CEO]

Press Release: Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Introduced to Improve Health Care Access for American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans in Urban Areas

Washington, DC (August 2, 2019) — Today, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act (S. 2365) which would improve health care access for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) veterans by providing Department of Veterans Affairs coverage for care that AI/AN vets receive from Title V Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs). The legislation allows AI/AN veterans better access to culturally-competent care and alleviates burdens on the VA system. In addition to Udall and Khanna, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Deb Haaland (D-N.M.).   

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) passed a resolution in July supporting this legislative fix to help UIOs have the resources to better serve AI/AN veterans. The bill is also supported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and VoteVets.

“The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act is important legislation to ensuring that our veterans in urban areas are no longer left behind. Now, the Department of Veterans Affairs will have the explicit authority to reimburse the 41 Title V Urban Indian Organizations who are already providing critical resources for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans who have served the United States,” said NCUIH Executive Director Francys Crevier.

“The National Council of Urban Indian Health has made it a priority to ensure that Urban Indian Organizations are included in the IHS-VA MOU to help provide health care to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. As a Native veteran myself, I understand the importance of coming home and knowing I have a safe space to receive care. Thank you to my own Representative Ro Khanna,  and we are grateful for the leadership of the 116th Congress in introducing this landmark legislation,” said NCUIH Vice President Sonya Tetnowski.

“At First Nations Community HealthSource, we never turn anyone – veteran or not – away. Native veterans in Albuquerque consider our facility a safe, accessible space to receive health care. With critical underfunding, this legislation would allow all Urban Indian Organizations to finally be reimbursed for the necessary care we already provide to our Native veterans,” said Linda Son-Stone, NCUIH Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Community HealthSource, an Urban Indian Organization and member of NCUIH.

The NCAI resolution states: “The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) urges Congress to pass legislation that amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act at 25 U.S.C. §1645(c) to insert UIOs after IHS and Tribal Organizations and require VA to reimburse for services provided to AI/AN veterans at all of the IHS, Tribal, and urban (I/T/U) system, in order to protect the health and welfare of AI/AN veterans living in urban centers, thereby honoring their sacrifices.”

Call to Action Toolkit: Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act

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Call to Action: Ask Congress to Authorize the VA to Reimburse UIOs for Health Care

Representative Ro Khanna and Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act, a bill to improve health care access for Native American Veterans by providing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) coverage for care that Native American Veterans receive at urban Indian health centers.  This legislation would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the VA to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans. To ensure that the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act receives as much support as possible, we encourage you to contact your Member of Congress and request that they sign on as a cosponsor of this bill (if they have not already).

Write to Your House Member

Please use the following text below as a template to call or email to your Representatives. You should call and email your representative; you can find your representative here.

Dear Representative [ ],

As your constituent, I respectfully request you sign on as a cosponsor to the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act recently introduced by Representative Ro Khanna and Senator Udall.  This bill is a critical language fix that would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans.

Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) are an integral part of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health care delivery system. However, due to an oversight in legislation UIOs are the only part of the IHS Indian/Tribal/Urban (I/T/U) system that do not receive reimbursement under the VA-IHS MOU reimbursement agreement. However, UIOs were created by Congress as a response to Tribes that wanted to ensure their members would receive quality health care off of reservations as part of the trust obligation.

The Department of Veterans Administration has stated that it cannot address the issue on its own, and that only Congress has the authority to correct this oversight. The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act of 2019 would ensure that all three branches of the I/T/U system receive reimbursement for health care services delivered to AI/AN veterans.  We hope you will become a cosponsor of the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act and show your support for the health of urban AI/AN Veterans.

For the sake of the health of American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans and the fulfillment of the U.S. trust obligation,  we request your support of this simple language fix. To sign on, please contact Mr. Will McKelvey (Will.Mckelvey@mail.house.gov ) 202-225-2631 from Congressman Ro Khanna’s office.

Sincerely, [Your Name and Address]

Write to Your Senator

Please use the following text below as a template to call or email to your Senators.  You can find your Senators here.

Dear Senator [ ],

As your constituent, I respectfully request you sign on as a cosponsor to the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act (S.2365) recently introduced by Senator Udall and Representative Ro Khanna.  This bill is a critical language fix that would include “urban Indian organizations” in the statute requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health facilities for services they provide to native veterans.

Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) are an integral part of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health care delivery system. However, due to an oversight in legislation UIOs are the only part of the IHS Indian/Tribal/Urban (I/T/U) system that do not receive reimbursement under the VA-IHS MOU reimbursement agreement. However, UIOs were created by Congress as a response to Tribes that wanted to ensure their members would receive quality health care off of reservations as part of the trust obligation.

The Department of Veterans Administration has stated that it cannot address the issue on its own, and that only Congress has the authority to correct this oversight. The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act of 2019 would ensure that all three branches of the I/T/U system receive reimbursement for health care services delivered to AI/AN veterans.

We hope you will become a cosponsor of the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act and show your support for the health of urban AI/AN Veterans.

For the sake of the health of American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans and the fulfillment of the U.S. trust obligation, we request your support of this simple language fix. To sign on, please contact Ms. Kim Moxley (Kim_Moxley@indian.senate.gov ) 202-224-2251 from Senator Udall’s office.

Sincerely, [Your Name and Address]

Social Media

Twitter

    • From your Twitter account, tweet to your Senators and Members of Congress.
      • Find your Senators’ handles here.
        • Example tweet: “Dear [@ Senator’s handle], please sign on to Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act to support Native Veterans! #urbanIndianhealth @ncuih_official”
      • Find your Members of Congress here.
        • Example tweet: “Dear [@ Member’s handle], please sign on to Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act to support Native Veterans! #urbanIndianhealth @ncuih_official”
    • Retweet

Facebook

Press Release: Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Introduced to Improve Health Care Access for American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans in Urban Areas

Washington, DC (August 2, 2019) — Today, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act (S. 2365) which would improve health care access for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) veterans by providing Department of Veterans Affairs coverage for care that AI/AN vets receive from Title V Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs). The legislation allows AI/AN veterans better access to culturally-competent care and alleviates burdens on the VA system. In addition to Udall and Khanna, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Deb Haaland (D-N.M.).   

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) passed a resolution in July supporting this legislative fix to help UIOs have the resources to better serve AI/AN veterans. The bill is also supported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and VoteVets.

“The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act is important legislation to ensuring that our veterans in urban areas are no longer left behind. Now, the Department of Veterans Affairs will have the explicit authority to reimburse the 41 Title V Urban Indian Organizations who are already providing critical resources for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans who have served the United States,” said NCUIH Executive Director Francys Crevier.

“The National Council of Urban Indian Health has made it a priority to ensure that Urban Indian Organizations are included in the IHS-VA MOU to help provide health care to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. As a Native veteran myself, I understand the importance of coming home and knowing I have a safe space to receive care. Thank you to my own Representative Ro Khanna,  and we are grateful for the leadership of the 116th Congress in introducing this landmark legislation,” said NCUIH Vice President Sonya Tetnowski.

“At First Nations Community HealthSource, we never turn anyone – veteran or not – away. Native veterans in Albuquerque consider our facility a safe, accessible space to receive health care. With critical underfunding, this legislation would allow all Urban Indian Organizations to finally be reimbursed for the necessary care we already provide to our Native veterans,” said Linda Son-Stone, Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Community HealthSource, an Urban Indian Organization and member of NCUIH.

The NCAI resolution states: “The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) urges Congress to pass legislation that amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act at 25 U.S.C. §1645(c) to insert UIOs after IHS and Tribal Organizations and require VA to reimburse for services provided to AI/AN veterans at all of the IHS, Tribal, and urban (I/T/U) system, in order to protect the health and welfare of AI/AN veterans living in urban centers, thereby honoring their sacrifices.”

Call to Action Toolkit: Senate Appropriations Bill

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The National Council of Urban Indian Health is calling for the Senate to match the House mark of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item.

We ask that members of our community do the same by sending letters or calling their Senators to advocate for this important increase. Presently, the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget for urban Indian programs is less than 1% creating serious budget constraints for us to still provide culturally-competent and quality healthcare. An increase would provide 41 Urban Indian Organizations with critical funding that is long overdue.

Currently, the House bill that is moving to the floor for a vote has the $81 million line item for urban Indian health. The Senate has not published any of their funding bills for FY2020.

We have put together several ways you can advocate for this important funding.

NCUIH Outreach

  • Read our press release.
  • Read our letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting to match the funding for the urban Indian health line item in the House Appropriations bill that recently passed out of the full Appropriations Committee.

Contact Your Senators with this Example E-mail/Letter

  • Find your senators here.
  • Write to your Senators using this sample letter.
  • Dear Senators [Senators from your state]:Last month the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill that included an approximately $30 million increase – bringing funding to $81 million for Urban Indian programs. This needed increase would allow the 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) to hire more staff, expand vital services from behavioral health to substance misuse programs, and improve health outcomes for the growing demand of health care for urban Indians.Sincerely,
  • [First and Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip]
  • I hope you will urge the Senate Appropriations Committee to include the line item of $81 million for Urban Indian programs and show your support for the health of urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people.
  • As a constituent of [State] and a supporter of the National Council of Urban Indian Health, I humbly request that you honor the United States’ trust responsibility to urban Indians and support funding in the amount of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item.

Graphic

  • Download the graphic for your Facebook post or tweet.

Tweet

  • Write to your Senators on Twitter.
  • Find your Senators’ handles here.
  • Example tweet: “As a constituent, I urge [@ Senator’s handle] to please support the $81 million line item for urban Indian health in the Senate Appropriations Bill. #urbanIndianhealth @ncuih_official”

Facebook Post

  • Post your support on your Facebook.
  • Example post: “I just wrote to my Senators to include $81 million for urban Indian health. Show your support for this important increase by joining me! Find out how here: https://www.ncuih.org/policy_blog?article_id=259”

UIO Call to Action Toolkit: Urban Indian Health Funding

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This is a big deal! The inclusion of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item in the House budget is a huge step for our programs.

Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on the bill that includes the $81 million line item for urban Indian health. NCUIH supports the bill in its current form with the inclusion of this large increase and recommends Members of Congress vote YES.

We need your help to urge the Senate to do the same. If this nearly $30 million increase is in both bills and signed into law, all 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) would see a major increase in funding.

If the budget includes this $30 million increase for the urban Indian health line item, all 41 programs will see impacts. The inclusion of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item by the House is a huge step for our programs. We need your help to urge the Senate to do the same. If it is included in both bills and signed into law, the 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) would see a major increase in funding.

Currently, the House bill that is moving to the floor for a vote has the $81 million line item for urban Indian health. The Senate has not published any of their funding bills for FY2020.

NCUIH Outreach

  • Read our press release.
  • Read our letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting to match the funding for the urban Indian health line item in the House Appropriations bill that recently passed out of the full Appropriations Committee.

Advocacy Toolkit

Here are several ways you can advocate for this important funding in an easy-to-use toolkit. Please share with your networks the opportunity to advocate for this funding increase, whether through a newsletter, blog post, social media, letters from your community, and/or a press release.

Please contact Meredith Raimondi (mraimondi@ncuih.org) with any questions.

Graphic

  • Download our graphic for inclusion in your newsletter/blog, Facebook post, tweet, etc.

Newsletter/Blog Entry

  • Below is a sample newsletter entry to include in your next newsletter or blog post.
  • Example Text:[Program Name] joins the National Council of Urban Indian Health in calling for the Senate to match the House budget of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item. We need members of our community also communicate this important message. Please send emails, letters or call Senators to advocate for this important increase. Presently, the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget for urban Indian programs, like ours, is less than 1%. This creates serious budget constraints to still provide culturally-competent and quality healthcare. An increase would provide [Program Name] with critical funding that is long overdue. Currently, the House bill is moving to the floor for a vote this week. The Senate has not published any of their funding bills for FY2020. Our Senators are [Senators for your state] and they can be reached here. Email your Senators using this sample letter.

Ask Your Community to Send E-mails and Letters to Your Senators and Members of Congress

Here is information that you can share with your community members for sending emails.

Letters to Senators

  • Find your Senators here.
  • Write to your Senators using this sample letter.

  • Dear Senators [Senators from your state]:

    As a constituent of [State] and a community member of [Your Program], I humbly request that you honor the United States’ trust responsibility to urban Indians and support funding in the amount of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item.

    Last month the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill that included an approximately $30 million increase – bringing funding to $81 million for Urban Indian programs. This needed increase would allow the 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs), including ours, to hire more staff, expand vital services from behavioral health to substance misuse programs, and improve health outcomes for the growing demand of health care for urban Indians.

    I hope you will urge the Senate Appropriations Committee to include the line item of $81 million for Urban Indian programs and show your support for the health of urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people.

    Sincerely,
    [First and Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip]

Letters to the House of Representatives

  • Find your Member of Congress here.
  • Write to your Members of Congress using this sample letter.

  • Dear [Member of Congress],

    As your constituent and a community member of [Your Program], I humbly request that you honor the United States’ trust responsibility to urban Indians and support funding in the amount of $81 million for the urban Indian health line item by voting YES on H.R. 3055.
    This needed increase would allow the 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs), including ours, to hire more staff, expand vital services from behavioral health to substance misuse programs, and improve health outcomes for the growing demand of health care for urban Indians.

    I hope you will vote yes on H.R. 3055 to support the health of urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people with an increased budget of $81 million for urban Indian programs.  Thank you for your time and for your leadership.

    Sincerely,
    [First and Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip]

Twitter

  • From your program’s Twitter account, tweet to your Senators and Members of Congress.
    • Find your Senators’ handles here.
      • Example tweet: “We urge [@ Senator’s handle] to please support the $81 million line item for urban Indian health to help our program in [YOUR STATE] in the Senate Appropriations Bill. #urbanIndianhealth @ncuih_official”
    • Find your Members of Congress here.
      • Example tweet: “Please support #urbanIndianhealth by voting YES on H.R. 3055 [@ Member’s handle], which includes $81 million for urban Indian health to help our program. @ncuih_official”

Facebook

  • Post your support on your Facebook.
  • Example post: “We need you to help advocate Congress for an increase of nearly $30 million for urban Indian health. Show your support for this important increase that would help our funding! Find out how here: https://www.ncuih.org/policy_blog?article_id=259”

Press Release

  • Send a press release to your local media to let them know about your advocacy.
  • This is a big deal! If the budget includes this $30 million increase for the urban Indian health line item, all 41 programs will see impacts. Your local media should care about how this would improve your program’s ability to serve your community.
  • Example press release.