Norma Torres: “I want to thank my colleagues for their consistent support of tribal governments. I also want to thank Speaker Pelosi…”

“I want to thank my colleagues for their consistent support of tribal governments. I also want to thank Speaker Pelosi and Chairwoman Lowey. They have demonstrated a deep commitment to these important issues. Without their personal attention and support, this historic investment in Indian country would not be possible. This is an issue that is deeply important to me because Covid-19 has taken a disproportionate toll on Native American communities. Historic inequities in health and infrastructure have resulted in extremely high infection rates on many reservations across our country. We must act, and I am proud to say, we are voting today to support Indian Country through the HEROES Act. As a member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, I want to highlight four of the most significant tribal provisions in this bill that fall under our jurisdiction. First, we doubled down on the investment in tribal governments by adding an additional $20 billion to the Coronavirus Relief Fund for tribes. This additional relief will provide the necessary funding to support tribal governments as they cope with the devastating effects of the pandemic. Next, we made sure that the funding allocated to tribal governments actually goes to tribal governments. We did this by clarifying that only federally recognized tribal governments listed in the Federal Register are eligible for this funding.…”