Al Franken: “Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my vice chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, and I thank the Presiding Officer…”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my vice chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, and I thank the Presiding Officer, who chairs the committee. I am honored to serve under both of them. I rise to discuss the devastating effects the various Republican healthcare proposals that have been made would have on Indian Country. Republicans are now considering a straight repeal of the Affordable Care Act, with no replacement. This policy, like others that have come before it, would have a devastating effect on Native communities. Today, I want to describe some of the healthcare challenges that these communities face, how the Affordable Care Act has helped to address some of those challenges, and how repealing the Affordable Care Act would undermine these gains and further jeopardize healthcare for an already vulnerable population. I have served on the Indian Affairs Committee for the past 8 years, and I am continually shocked by what I hear almost every week from Tribal leaders and other witnesses about the challenges that face Native communities. One of the biggest challenges is that the Federal Government consistently falls short of its responsibilities to Indian communities. There is a lack of attention to the concerns of Native communities. There is a dysfunctional bureaucracy and a Congress that doesn't adequately fund Indian programs, and this can create a vicious cycle. When programs don't have adequate funding, they don't work as they should.…”