Floor Statements
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STATEMENT BY SENATOR MCCAIN ON S. 1200, THE INDIAN HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2007
January 22, 2008
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today the Senate is considering S. 1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) Amendments of 2007. This bill would reauthorize the IHCIA, the statutory framework for the Indian health system, which covers just about every aspect of Native American health care.
I would first like to acknowledge the hard work of Chairman Dorgan and my other colleagues on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee for their efforts to bring this important legislation to the floor. Reauthorization of the IHCIA is critical to the lives of more than 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives and is long overdue.
The IHCIA expired in 2000 and Indian tribes and health organizations have been working diligently to see it reauthorized. Seven years ago, a steering committee of Tribal leaders, with extensive consultation by the Indian Health Service, developed a broad consensus in Indian County about what needs to be done to improve and update health services for Indian people. During the 109th Congress, we made significant progress towards passing a reauthorization bill. Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to complete work on that bill before adjourning last Congress.
I believe now as I did when I served as Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee during the last Congress that reauthorizing our Indian healthcare programs is a top priority for us, and I hope that the Senate will move a sound comprehensive bill through the legislative process as quickly as possible. However, there are some key and troubling differences between the bill pending before the Senate and the proposal I put forward at the end of the last Congress, S. 4122. In particular, the new version contains language that would essentially authorize the Indian Health Service to promote “reproductive health and family planning” services. As my colleagues know, I’ve had a longstanding policy against promoting abortion as an acceptable form of birth control, except in cases of rape and incest. I strongly believe that society and government have a legitimate interested in protecting life, born or unborn. Obviously, my thinking on this question applies to the unborn children of patients to the Indian Health Service. I cannot in good conscience support the promotion of abortions at federally funded IHS facilities or any federal facilities. I remain hopeful the bill will be modified to allow me to supports its swift passage.
Mr. President, I am, however, supportive of the majority of this bill which builds upon the principles of Indian self-determination. Over the years, Indian health care delivery has greatly expanded and tribes are taking over more healthcare services on the local level. It’s our responsibility to maintain support for these services and promote high standards of quality healthcare for IHS and its partner units. Among the items provided in this bill are provisions exploring options for long-term care, governing children and senior issues. It also would provide support for recruitment and retention purposes; access to health care, especially for Indian children and low-income Indians. Further, it would provide more flexibility in facility construction programs, consolidated behavioral health programs for more comprehensive care, and would establish a Commission to study and recommend the best means of providing Indian health care.
We must remember that nearly 30 years ago, Congress first enacted the IHCIA to meet the fundamental trust obligation of the United States to ensure that comprehensive healthcare would be provided to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Yet, the health status of Indian people remains much worse than that of other Americans. They have a shorter average lifespan, higher infant mortality rate and a much higher rate of diabetes than the national average. American Indians and Alaska Natives are 650 percent more likely to die of tuberculosis, 770 percent more likely to die of alcoholism and 60 percent more likely to die of suicide. The suicide mortality rate among Indian youth is three times that of the general population.
Mr. President, I’ve seen the hard reality of these statistics in the families of Arizona tribes as well as tribes across the nation Methamphetamine addiction, diabetes, alcoholism, and heart disease are epidemics devastating the Indian people. Trust obligation dictates we address these health crises on reservations, and I strongly support actions to that effect. However, as I stated before, using taxpayer money to promote abortion services is something I find highly objectionable and will vehemently oppose. I strongly urge my colleagues to support efforts to strike these unacceptable provisions and enable this bill, which is of critical importance to Indian country, to be approved.
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