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A critical priority that has gone ignored for too long in the federal budget process is the government’s solemn promise to American Indians and Alaska Natives to uphold its trust responsibility.

The federal trust responsibility is the legal commitment made by the U.S. government to Indian tribes when Indian lands were ceded to the United States. This commitment is codified in treaties, federal law, executive orders, judicial opinions, and international doctrine. It can be divided into three general obligations: protection of Indian trust lands; protection of tribal self-governance; and provision of basic social, medical, and educational services for tribal members. These promises notwithstanding, the U.S. government has consistently failed to follow through with appropriations to match these fundamental obligations.

In July 2003, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reported that the persistent underfunding of Federal trust commitments to tribes constitutes “a quiet crisis.” In a comprehensive analysis of unmet needs in Indian Country, the study documented disproportionately lower funding for critical Indian services--including law enforcement, health care, and education--than for all other populations. In the last 25 years, federal expenditure per capita for Indians has steadily declined as compared to spending for the U.S. population at large. Starkly identified in a 1999 Congressional Research Service study this trend demonstrates a troubling failure by the federal government to uphold its trust responsibilities with adequate appropriations.

The needs in Indian Country are substantial and the federal trust responsibility to address these needs is clear. As Congress considers FY 2005 funding for Indian programs throughout the federal budget, NCAI strongly recommends a serious commitment across the board to reverse this trend by making funding choices of the magnitude necessary to turn the tide against need in Indian Country. Such a shift in federal funding trends, coupled with continued efforts to strengthen tribal governments and clarify the government-to-government relationship, could make the difference in bringing about the truly stable, diversified, and healthy economies in Indian Country that are the foundation of strong communities.

FY 2006 Documents

Legislative Updates

• President's Budget Release, February 8, 2005
• FY 2006 Budget Resolution Alert, March 8, 2005
• Contract Support Costs Alert, April 14, 2005
• House Interior Appropriations Hearing on Native American Programs, April 18, 2005
  • Attachment to Broadcast - Hearing List of Tribal Leaders
• House Interior Spending Bill Headed to Floor, May 16, 2005
  • Attachment to Broadcast - House Mark Table
• Senate Interior Bill Alert to Tribes, May 22, 2005
• Means Testing Discussion Alert, June 14, 2005
• Senate Interior Markup, June 14, 2005
  • Attachment - Senate Mark Table
• Indian Housing Funding Alert, July 8, 2005
  • Attachment - Members of TTHUD Appropriations Subcommittee

Testimony

• NCAI Testimony to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on President's Budget, 2/16/2005
• NCAI FY 2006 SSCJ Testimony
• NCAI FY06 BIA Testimony to Appropriations Subcommittee
• NCAI FY06 IHS Testimony to Appropriations Subcommittee
• NCAI FY06 Interior EPA Testimony to Appropriations Subcommittee

General FY 2006 Information

• FY 2006 Indian Country Budget Request
• Key Budget Contacts and Constituent Tribes

FY 2005 Documents

• NCAI Informational Handout on President's FY 2005 Appropriations Budget
• Agric. Appropriations; BIA/Tribal Budget Mtgs (Broadcast 04-049) (7/21/2004)
• Appropriations Update, BIA Budget Meetings (Broadcast 04-042) (7/2/2004)
• House Interior Appropriations Details (Broadcast 04-040) (6/11/2004)
• House Interior Appropriations Markup (Broadcast 04-038) (6/3/2004)
• Pay Cost Alert (Broadcast 04-029) (4/16/2004)
• BIA Budget Meetings (Broadcast 04-028) (4/16/2004)
• NCAI Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Testimony (4/11/2004)
• NCAI Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations Testimony (4/2/2004)
• NCAI Agriculture Appropriations Testimony (3/25/2004)
• "Daschle IHS Amendment Defeated," Legislative Update 04-018 (3/11/2004)
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2005 Budget Request, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. (2/11/2004)
• "President Releases FY 2005 Budget" Legislative Update 04-006 (2/3/2004)

FY 2004 Documents

• "FY2004 Omnibus Clears Congress" Legislative Update 04-002 (1/22/2004)
• 2005 Budget Recommendations (1/21/04)

FY 2003 Documents

• House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2003 VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Bill (Broadcast #02-071, 10/14/02)
• Congress Approves Continuing Resolution (Broadcast #02-069, 9/27/02)
• Dodd Recognition Moratorium Defeated (Broadcast #02-069, 9/24/02)
• Senator Dodd Seeks Appropriations Rider To Place Moratorium on Recognition (Broadcast #02-066, 9/17/02)
• House, Senate Appropriations Committees Approve FY 2003 Agriculture Bill (Broadcast #02-060, 8/14/02)
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2003 VA-HUD-EPA Bill (Broadcast #02-059, 7/30/02)
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2003 DOT Bill with $10 Million IRR Cut (Broadcast #02-058, 7/30/02)
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Commerce-Justice-State, Labor-HHS-Education Bills (Broadcast #02-056, 7/25/02)
• Anti-Indian Provisions in Interior Appropriations Bill Defeated (Broaadcast #02-053, 7/17/02)
• Gaming and Cobell Provisions in FY 2003 Interior Appropriations Bill (Broadcast #02-052, 7/16/02)
• House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2003 Interior Bill (Broadcast #02-051, 7/11/02)
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2003 Interior Appropriations Bill (Broadcast #02-048, 6/28/02)
• House Subcommittee Passes FY 2003 Interior Appropriations Bill (Broadcast #02-046, 6/26/02)
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Indian Health Service Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Bureau of Indian Affairs Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Agriculture Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Energy Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 Transportation Appropriations
• NCAI Testimony on FY 2003 VA-HUD-EPA Appropriations
• NCAI Testmony on the President's FY 2003 Request for Indian Programs, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
• FY 2003 BIA and IHS Budget Request Details, Legislative Update 02-017 (2/5/02)
• President Bush Releases FY 2003 Budget, Legislative Update 02-106 (2/4/02)

FY 2002 Documents

• Key Funding and Legislative Provisions in FY2002 Interior Conference Report, Legislative Update #391, 10/16/01
• Conferees Approve Interior Appropriations Bill, Legislative Update 389, 10/11/01
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY2002 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, Legislative Update 370, 07/19/01
• Senate Appropriators Add $35.6 Million to Indian Roads Program; House Begins Debate on Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Bill, Legislative Update #369, 07/17/01
• Immediate Action Needed to Restore Indian Roads Funding, Legislative Update #368, 07/10/01
• Senate FY2002 Interior Appropriations Summary, Legislative Update #367, 07/02/01
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Interior Appropriations Measure, Legislative Update #366, 06/29/01
• Senate Committees Mark Up FY2002 Interior Appropriations, Legislative Update #365, 06/28/01
• Senate Committees to Take Up Interior Appropriations This Week, Legislative Update #364, 06/26/01
• House Passes FY2002 Interior Appropriations Bill, Legislative Update #363, 06/22/01
• FY2002 Interior Appropriations Bill Clears Committee, Legislative Update #362, 06/14/01
• House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Passes FY2002 Funding Measure, Legislative Update #359, 06/07/01
• House Interior Appropriations Mark Up Scheduled, Legislative Update #357, 06/05/01
• Support Needed for Tribal Set-Aside in Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants, Legislative Update #354, 05/10/01
• Support Needed for Indian Reservation Roads Funding, Legislative Update #351, 04/20/01
• President Proposes Major Cut for Technology Access Program That Assists Tribes, Legislative Update #347, 04/11/01
• Department of Labor Budget Request, Legislative Update #346, 04/11/01
• President's FY2002 Budget Request for VA-HUD-EPA, Legislative Update #345, 04/10/01
• President Bush Releases FY2002 Budget Details, Legislative Update #343, 04/09/01
• NCAI Testimony on FY2002 VA-HUD-EPA Appropriations, 03/22/01
• NCAI Testimony of FY2002 Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations, 3/21/01
• President Bush Releases Budget Blueprint for FY2002, Legislative Update #336, 02/28/01
• President Bush's FY2002 Budget, Legislative Update #335, 02/17/01

FY 2001 Documents

• FY2001 Omnibus Appropriations Act Affects Tribal Programs, Legislative Update #326, 01/17/01
• FY2001 Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Signed, Legislative Update #322, 01/12/01
• FY2001 DOJ Law Enforcement Initiative Appropriations, Priority Issue Memorandum, November 2000
• FY2001 VA-HUD-EPA Appropriations Act, Priority Issue Memorandum, November 2000
• Indian Reservation Roads, Priority Issue Memorandum, November 2000
• Budget Primer, Priority Issue Memorandum, November 2000

FY 2000 Documents

• Policy Statement of the National Congress of American Indians on Tribal Government Issues Included in the FY2000 Appropriations Process
• FY2000 Appropriations Process Update, October 1999

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Email: ncai@ncai.org

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