The publication is reproduced in full below:
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021
______
speech of
HON. TERESA LEGER FERNANDEZ
of new mexico
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Tribes, Pueblos, and Nations in New Mexico, the 574 federally recognized Tribes across the country, and the Native Hawaiian community to highlight the American Rescue Plan's life-saving support for Tribal Nations, including through the Tribal Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund. This monumental bill will, among other support, provide $20 billion of desperately needed assistance to Tribal governments throughout the United States, and uphold the federal government's longstanding trust responsibility.
Many of these communities suffered disproportionately during the pandemic. American Indian and Alaskan Native people were twice as likely to die from COVID-19 compared to white Americans. Long-standing failures in public funding, infrastructure, housing, and access to health care in Indian Country contributed to this crisis of equity.
I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for securing dedicated Coronavirus Relief Funds for Tribes under the CARES Act last Congress. However, the lack of Tribal consultation and narrow rulemaking during the previous administration severely delayed and prevented many Tribal nations from receiving the help that they needed, when they needed it. This was most apparent by the roadblocks that prevented Tribes from effectively utilizing their economic recovery funds under the CARES Act to make up for the devastating loss of critical governmental revenues given that they lack traditional tax bases enjoyed by state and local governments.
As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States, I'm proud that we secured the largest one-time investment in Native communities in our nation's history in the American Rescue Plan. Importantly, Congress intended to distribute this aid flexibly, allowing Tribes to help their struggling small businesses, address health and economic issues, and preserve their language and culture.
That is why it is so important that the Biden Administration is committed to engage in robust Tribal consultation so that they can distribute these funds in a timely, flexible, and equitable manner. I applaud this commitment. It is our responsibility to not only pass legislation that provides life-saving funds for these communities, but also follow through so aid gets to those who need it as quickly as possible. I look forward to working closely with Secretary-designate Deb Haaland and other administration officials to make this happen.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 49
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