President Biden’s Agenda Helping to Change the Course of the Pandemic in Indian Country

Thanks to President Biden and Democrats, the American Rescue Plan has already changed the course of the pandemic in Indian Country by delivering immediate relief for hard-hit Native American families and Tribes. The American Rescue Plan set aside $20 billion dollars for Tribal governments, as well as $12 billion dollars through the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Justice, to provide access to more affordable health care and the resources to get our kids and teachers safely back to school — all no thanks to a single Republican in Congress.

President Biden and Democrats know we can’t let up now, which is why they’re working to pass the American Families Plan and the American Jobs Plan, which would deliver generation-defining funding for Indian Country by supporting Tribal Governments, which is a federal trust obligation. These proposals will also advance key regional development and capacity-building efforts that will help Tribal communities improve health care, education, and infrastructure, which have been historically underfunded. 

Because of the American Rescue Plan, which passed no thanks to a single Republican in Congress, Tribes are getting the aid they need to rebuild their economies.

In Montana: Billings Gazette: ‘Marshall Plan for Indian Country’: Wave of federal money flows to reservations

“This summer, Indian Country will receive the largest infusion of federal money in the history of the United States.

“For Montana’s 13 tribes and seven reservations, that could mean around $500 million to spend recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic devastation. 

…“All told, the American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden will allocate about $36 billion to federally recognized tribes this year.”

In Oklahoma: KGOU: Cherokee Nation Providing $2,000 To Every Citizen From American Rescue Plan Funds

“The Cherokee Nation is receiving $1.8 billion in COVID-19 recovery funds as part of investment in Indian Country through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act.

“Under the American Rescue Plan, $20 billion was set aside for tribal governments, as well as $12 billion dollars through Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Justice.”

President Biden knows we must build upon the provisions of the American Rescue Plan by passing the American Families Plan and the American Jobs Plan — which would invest tens of billions of dollars directly in Tribal communities across the country, and bridge the digital divide by achieving 100 percent coverage of high-speed broadband.

NBC News: Congress could spend big on broadband. Tribal nations say it can’t come soon enough.

“Affordable high-speed, broadband internet is rare across Navajo Nation, the reservation that stretches across three southwestern U.S. states and is larger than state of West Virginia. And its absence for many families, especially over the past 15 months, has further exposed how critical access to it is for residents to participate in basic elements of society.

“It’s a problem the Biden administration is looking to tackle as part of its infrastructure push. Despite initially diverging views on how much to spend, expanding broadband access is one of the few areas on which Democrats and Republicans agree.”

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