Rep. McCollum, Rep. Cole, Sen. Luján, Sen. Mullin Reintroduce Legislation to Responsibly Fund Critical Public Services for Tribal Nations

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Co-Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Native American Caucus, along with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) have reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act (IPAAA) to authorize advance appropriations in order to avoid lapses in funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). These agencies fund critical public services for Tribal Nations, including hospitals, schools, law enforcement, and child welfare programs, among other services.

Advance appropriations provide funding for the current Fiscal Year and one year in advance for critical public services. Moving federal programs that serve Tribal Nations—including BIA, BIE, and IHS—to the advance appropriations process will protect these agencies and Tribal governments from cash flow problems that regularly occur due to delays in the enactment of annual federal spending bills in time for the start of the new fiscal year.

“The federal government has a responsibility to honor our trust and treaty commitments to Indian Country,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “This bill takes the necessary steps to provide stable funding for critical public services for Native American communities. We must ensure that critical funding for Indian Health care, tribal justice services, and social services are not interrupted. The advance appropriations process guarantees these funds even during future shutdowns.”

“It is vital that we work to ensure our country’s funding reflects our trust responsibility to Tribal Nations and New Mexico values,” said Senator Luján, a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “The IPAAA is commonsense reform that provides Tribal Nations with timely, sufficient, sustainable, and predictable funding. My bipartisan, bicameral legislation responsibly funds critical programs that protect the health, safety, and education of Tribal communities and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it passed.” 

The Federal government already authorizes advance appropriations for other programs, like the Veterans Affairs (VA), to protect these critical federal commitments from such lapses. In 2011, Congress enacted the Veterans’ Health Budget Reform and Transparency Act, requiring the federal government to provide advance appropriations for the VA. This legislation would ensure obligations to Indian County are treated the same way.

“The federal government has a trust responsibility with tribal nations – and part of that responsibility is to ensure basic services are provided. The Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act will ensure these services are supplied in advance, making sure Indian Country is not left behind,” said Congressman Cole. “I am proud to co-lead this effort in its critical introduction, and I thank Rep. McCollum, Rep. Lujan, and Senator Mullin for their work on this.”

“Indian Country should not have to suffer the consequences of the federal government's inaction,” said Mullin. “It is vital that we uphold our trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations by ensuring their economic security through the appropriations process. I'm proud to protect Indian Country, alongside my colleagues, from potential government shutdowns."

In 2023, Congress provided the IHS with advance funding for the first time through the annual appropriations bills, a historic achievement thanks to the tireless work of Tribal Nations and advocates across the country. However, current law does not require IHS to continue receiving advance appropriations, nor does it consider similar authority for the BIE and BIA. IPAAA would provide the statutory authority to safeguard this financial security for our trust and treaty responsibilities at these agencies going forward.

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