Andrea Joy Campbell: “Mr. President today I am pleased to be joined by Senators Inouye and McCain in introducing two bills vitally important…”

“Mr. President today I am pleased to be joined by Senators Inouye and McCain in introducing two bills vitally important to the health of Native Americans: the ``Indian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2003''. It is an unfortunate fact that the health status of Native people in the United States is poor. In fact, in the western hemisphere only the people of Haiti are in worse shape. Alcohol, drug abuse, and mental illness, tuberculosis, cancer, obesity and diabetes, heart disease, infant mortality, and a host of related pathologies plague Native people. Last fall's reauthorization of the Special Indian Diabetes Program showed the Federal commitment to ending the scourge of diabetes in Native communities. The ``Indian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2003'' will reauthorize the programs administered by the Indian Health Service and will increase the direct management of health care services by tribes, Native Alaskans and Urban Indian health centers.”