Byron Dorgan: “This chart shows the expenditures per capita relative to other Federal health expenditure benchmarks. This deals with…”

“This chart shows the expenditures per capita relative to other Federal health expenditure benchmarks. This deals with Indians versus all others--Indians get far less. Here is the expenditure per capita for Medicare, the Veterans' Administration, Medicaid, Federal prisoners, the Federal Employees Health benefits. Here is Indian Health Service. It is unbelievable to me how much less it is. In many ways, all of this is intertwined--social services, health care, law enforcement, housing, education, it is all intertwined. What got me interested and involved in Indian issues--and I am privileged to serve as chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee and feel a deep responsibility to force us to do the right thing--what got me involved one day was a young girl named Tamara.”