McCollum Statement on Indian Health Service FY16 Budget Request

Thank you Mr. Chairman. 

I look forward to working with you and the other members of the Interior and Environment Subcommittee on this bill that funds so many vital commitments to our nation and its people.  

Our moral and legal responsibility to provide healthcare for Native Americans is one we all take very seriously, and so I would also like to join Chairman Calvert in welcoming Dr. Roubideaux and
Mr. McSwain to the subcommittee.  I look forward to hearing your testimony this morning.

And as we kick off our hearings on the FY 2016 budget request, let me welcome the new Democratic members of the subcommittee Mr. Kilmer and Mr. Israel.  And it’s great to see Mrs. Pingree on the subcommittee again this Congress.

I would also like to welcome our new members on the other side, Mr. Amodei and Mr. Jenkins. 

The history of this subcommittee is that we seek to approach issues in a bipartisan fashion.  Some of these efforts have been more successful than others, but I am confident we will work together closely this year to address the fiscal challenges facing the many important services and agencies funded by the Interior and Environment appropriations bill.

One of our great successes is our support for services for Native Americans, where we have had made considerable progress over the past several years in addressing the health, social and educational needs of Native Americans. 

However, as our hearing today will show, much more remains to be done.

The fiscal year 2016 Indian Health Service budget request includes $5.1 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $460.6 million over last year’s level.

Of the proposed increases, $147.3 million would pay for increases needed to maintain the current level of medical care.   The remaining $313.3 million would allow us to expand services and pay for healthcare needs that are currently unmet because of the lack of funding.

This is an ambitious proposal. 

I am encouraged by the support from the administration and my colleagues on this committee for addressing the health needs within Indian Country.

The budget request contains an additional $55 million for Contract Support Costs, an area of growing concern for tribal leaders,
and for me and many members of this subcommittee.

While I am pleased that the Administration is no longer proposing caps to Contract Support Costs I am concerned that unless we also provide mandatory funding for direct services, there will be inequality among tribes. I look forward to discussing this issue with you further.

Native Americans experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at more than twice the rate of the general population.  Native Americans are more likely to serve as veterans, they experience domestic violence at higher rates than the general population and carry the historical trauma of the Native American experience.

Access to mental health and chemical dependency services remain a critical issue for this population.

A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated that 11.5% of Native Americans have unmet needs for mental health treatment.

And suicide is still the second leading cause of death for Native American youth aged 10-34.

I was pleased to see that the budget request included $25 million for the Tribal Behavioral Health Initiative for Native Youth and I am interesting in hearing more about this initiative today.

I was also happy to see that the request makes strategic investments in Information Technology to implement electronic medical records fully as well as training and technical assistance to improve third-party insurance collections.

However, I am very concerned that unless we find a way to eliminate sequestration, the mission of the IHS and other agencies in this subcommittee will be jeopardized. In our Tribal communities, that means children, parents, and seniors will not be able to access the health services they need. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing today and I look forward to working with you on this important issue and doing our part to build healthy tribal communities.  I yield back.