Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, today slammed the Bush Administration's FY 2009 budget as unacceptable in meeting the most basic needs of those in Indian Country - a repeat of the failed policies of year's past.

"The Administration's budget, simply and unequivocally, fails, yet again, to allocate necessary funding for the most basic and pressing welfare, housing, infrastructure, health care and education needs for those living in Native American and Alaska Native communities," Rahall said.  "Funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs has always been low on the priority list for this White House, but it remains disappointing to see the depths to which the President will plunge in his disregard for basic human needs in Indian Country."

The new budget cuts general welfare assistance - used to help improve the living conditions of desperately poor Indian families and children - by $22 million for FY 2009.  As the Administration notes, these funds are used for "the basic needs of children, the elderly, and adult heads of household who either have no access to or do not meet the eligibility criteria for welfare benefits from any other county, State, or Federal welfare program."  The program provides general assistance, such as basic monthly assistance; child assistance, which provides care for abandoned and neglected children placed in foster homes, group homes or residential settings; and miscellaneous assistance, including food, clothing, shelter, and other services. 

"Unemployment in Indian Country is already astronomically higher than the national average - with some reservations reporting unemployment rates ranging from 40 to 80 percent," Rahall said.  "At a time when our country is slipping into a recession, it makes absolutely no sense for the President to cut funding to those Americans who need it the most."

The President has again eliminated funding for the Housing Improvement Program (HIP), which provides tribal members with funds for repairs and renovations and serves approximately 200 families in need each year. 

Maintenance funding for Indian reservation roads has been chopped in half for FY 2009.  Indian reservation roads consist of 82,000 miles of public roads, of which the BIA is responsible for 27,000 miles.  Of the 27,000 miles that the BIA oversees, 20,450 miles are currently unpaved. 

"Sadly, the Bush Administration's budget fails to recognize that safe roads are critical to improving public safety, emergency response times, and economic opportunities in Indian Country, as well as an important avenue for transporting children to and from school," Rahall said.

As in years past, the latest budget shortchanges any effort to improve the state of Native health care.  Although the Congress has repeatedly rejected the Administration's proposal to eliminate funding for urban Indian health programs, the President has, once again, proposed to ignore the federal government's trust responsibility to Indians and eliminate all funding for initiatives that serve to assist Indians in urban areas.  Urban Indians are afflicted by health care issues similar to those common among reservation Indians - with research showing that urban Indians suffer from higher mortality rates due to accidents, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and diabetes, than all other races in America combined.

Rahall also pointed out that the FY 2009 budget makes no additional investment in health care services for reservation Indians and flat funds Indian Health Services (IHS) programs at last year's appropriated levels.  Although a small segment of the country, the Indian population is increasing at a rate of 1.7 percent each year, which translates to an estimated 70,000 new patients entering the IHS system annually.  The budget fails to take into account the expected increase in patient load and does not even touch upon the enormous list of unmet needs under IHS programs, Rahall noted.

Over the years, the Administration has acknowledged an existing backlog for school improvements and repair, and, last summer, Interior's Inspector General issued a report detailing the dangerous conditions of several BIA-funded schools.  Despite these realities, the President has proposed a $10.5 million cut to the Education Facilities Improvement and Repair program - funding badly needed for maintenance in Indian Country schools. 

"Anyone hoping that the President would use his last year in office to fulfill at least some of the promises made to our Nation's First Americans will be sorely disappointed when they look at this sad excuse for a budget," Rahall said.

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