Political Quotes

“today, my colleague Senator Thune and I are introducing a piece of legislation that will correct a flaw in the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996, NAHASDA, that could leave some disabled Native American Veterans having to choose between living with their families or having enough money to survive without them. No veteran should ever be faced with having to make that painful choice. Their service to our nation demands that they be treated with the greatest care, and this bill would help ensure that. Native Americans serve in the U.S. military at a higher rate, per capita, than any other group. However, if a Native American veteran returns home with injuries suffered in battle, they face additional challenges because of the rules covering tribal lands. Currently, NAHASDA counts veterans disability payments and survivor benefits as income when determining both eligibility for housing assistance and rental payments. Since virtually the only criteria for receiving public housing assistance on tribal lands is income--and the income levels on tribal lands are historically low--it does not take a large veterans disability payment to make them cross the threshold of being 'too wealthy' to qualify for tribal housing. And in Indian Country, alternatives to tribal housing are few and far between.”