Tom Udall: “I say to Senator Cortez Masto, thank you so much. Thank you for bringing the statements forward from Chairwoman Torres.…”

“I say to Senator Cortez Masto, thank you so much. Thank you for bringing the statements forward from Chairwoman Torres. She has every right to be concerned. The short answer to her question is, yes, we don't want to go back. Chairwoman Torres is right to be concerned. Tribal leaders across the country want to know how this bill would impact their members, but, as Senator Heitkamp highlighted, Republican leadership has not engaged in any meaningful Tribal consultation. I know that is something that concerns you a lot. Working with you on our committee, you always raise that issue--Tribal consultation and how important that is. That did not occur before these proposals were put before us. Repeal of the Medicaid expansion would pull millions of dollars out of critical funding at the Indian Health Service and would return the entire system to life or limb. Medicaid funding at IHS has increased by over $240 million since the Affordable Care Act passage, and that is an increase of 43 percent. Under the ACA, Tribes and urban Indian health facilities have started offering a much wider range of healthcare services to Native Americans, such as OB-GYN, podiatry, and behavioral health. I have mentioned the old official IHS motto several times: ``Don't get sick after June.'' This was a motto because the Indian Health Service would run out of money after June.…”