Lawmakers from both parties said Thursday that President Donald Trump’s budget would put care for millions of Native Americans at risk should the government shut down.
The Indian Health Service, which is the federal agency responsible for providing health services to Native Americans and Alaska Natives, is already struggling due to staff and spending cuts, members have said. While Trump’s budget wishlist would fund IHS at $7.9 billion, it does not include a provision to keep funding flowing in the event of a government shutdown.
“You can stumble into a government shutdown at any point, and that should not affect the care of Native Americans,” Rep. Tom Cole, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies.