May 26, 2016
ZIKA VIRUS FUNDING NEEDED FOR TRIBES!
Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a rule on an appropriations package containing the legislative vehicle containing $622 million in funding for Zika virus aid for the remainder of FY 2016 (
H.R. 5243
) and a Zika vector control measure (
H.R. 897
). This rule will allow the legislation to be considered by committee as an amendment to the Senate's appropriations package (
H.R. 2577
) that contains ~$1.1 billion in emergency supplemental Zika virus funding.
The rule passed last night provides for a motion to go to conference and puts the House and Senate on a path toward official negotiations over the two differing pieces of legislation they each passed for Zika virus funding last week. The House is expected to act on this today, before Congress goes on a week-long recess. The Senate will now also need to take action to agree to go to conference.
Background
There are now over 590 travel-associated Zika virus disease cases reported in the United States. The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito and has been found recently in areas of Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Zika infected mosquitos could reach the
lower part of the United States
this year. Read more about the Zika virus
HERE
.
What does this mean for Indian Country?
The President requested emergency funding up to $1.9 billion back in February to properly address this emerging public health concern and Congress still has not acted - leaving the U.S., and Indian Country's rural communities, in particular, vulnerable to the threats posed by this harmful virus.
The National Indian Health Board is working closely with a coalition of over 60 national and regional partners to urge Congress to move swiftly on approving emergency supplemental funding to combat Zika virus at or near the President's requested levels
(~$1.9 billion), and to reject proposals that fall far short of those amounts, particularly those that would fund efforts against Zika by cutting other vital domestic or global public health programs and priorities (like the House version H.R. 5243). NIHB is now doing targeted outreach to policymakers to ensure that whatever funding level is enacted, will hold Tribes and Tribal organizations eligible for direct funding, in parity with states and territories, and will uphold the federal trust responsibility by holding harmless the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget from being used as an offset.
How can you help?
Contact your lawmakers this week! This legislation is expected to move quickly and outreach and education in the next week is crucial for making Tribal and Tribal organizations directly eligible for any funding that is appropriated and holding IHS funding harmless.
-
Use
THIS SAMPLE LETTER on your Tribal letterhead and send to your
Member of Congress as soon as possible.
-
To find out who your Representatives are, please visit
Be sure to share a copy of your letter with NIHB to help us track and bolster this effort. More targeted outreach will be needed once the two chambers decide on conferees. NIHB will continue to track this movement and provide updates as necessary. Please feel free to contact Michelle Castagne, NIHB Congressional Relations Associate, with any questions at
[email protected]
or (202) 507-4083.
