Mr. President, I am here to speak in favor of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.  To the nine treaty tribes in my state, and hundreds of others around the country, this bill is truly a matter of life and death.  It is a sad fact that the six counties in America with the lowest life expectancy are tribal counties in South Dakota.  
 
Poor health care affects not only life expectancy but also the quality of life for American Indians, it is also preventable.  My office gets hundreds of calls from constituents needing help with even the most basic needs that ought to be met by the Indian Health Service.  For example, Butch Artichoker from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe told my office he did not want to have a cancer test because he would not be able to get Contract Health treatment from IHS if the test was positive.  His situation is not unique.  
 
Another man from Pine Ridge contacted my office after receiving the results of a cancer test that showed his PSA levels were ten times above normal.  He could not get a referral for a treatment MRI because according to IHS his cancer was not a “Priority One – threat to life or limb.”
 
I am a cancer survivor myself thanks to early screening and detection which are paramount for effective treatment.  This is also true for mental health problems and many other treatable disorders.  Passing this bill will not fix every health problem facing Indian Country, but it is a major step that we need to take.  
 
I returned from my own health challenges with a better appreciation of what individuals and families go through when they face the hardship of catastrophic health issues.  Providing better health care through IHS will serve not just American Indians but protect the overall public health network for my state and the rest of the country.  IHS is a vital part of the patchwork of providers that serve our state and when one of these providers improves, the entire system benefits. This is not just a tribal issue or an Indian bill, but a moral issue for individuals and families as well as the integrity my state and our country.
 
Thank you to Senator Dorgan for his leadership and persistence, I ask that my colleagues quickly pass this bill as these improvements to Indian Health Care are long overdue.