Raúl Grijalva: “As stated before, today marks the first day of National Native American Heritage Month. I want to thank the gentlewoman…”

“As stated before, today marks the first day of National Native American Heritage Month. I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico, the chair of the Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States, Ranking Member Westerman, and Ranking Member Young for putting a package together for Congress to vote specifically on significant bipartisan pieces of legislation that deal specifically with Indian Country. I think it is noteworthy and symbolic, and as you see these pieces of legislation, very much necessary. I want to extend my thanks to all of them for that. While it is a time to celebrate the histories and achievements of Native Americans in this country, it is also a time for Congress to fully recognize the trust and treaty obligations the U.S. Government owes to Tribal governments and to indigenous people in our country. Ensuring equity for Tribal healthcare entities is an essential part of the Federal trust responsibility, which is the reason that I am proud to sponsor H.R. 5221, the Urban Indian Health Confer Act. The accessible and culturally competent healthcare services that Indian Health Services provides to Tribal communities are critical to ensuring their well-being. As stated by the chairwoman, over 70 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives began seeking healthcare outside of Tribal jurisdictions in our cities and nonreservation communities across this country. Urban Indian Organizations, UIOs, were created to fill that gap.…”