In This Issue

On October 13 and 14, Tribes from across Indian Country will gather in Washington, DC to discuss strategies for increasing and improving the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget.

 The 2014 IHS Budget Summit aims to engage Tribal leaders, technical advisors, academic experts, and Federal government representatives in strategic discussions about current and future budget and appropriations for IHS. Throughout the two-day meeting, participants will discuss topics including:  budget formulation process, current budget climate, budget priorities, and future recommendations for budget development. 

Yesterday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, John Tester (D-MT), introduced S. 2830, a bill that would authorize the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) permanently.  

As you may know, SDPI's current authorization expires on September 30, 2015.  The National Indian Health Board applauds Chairman Tester for his strong leadership on issues affecting Indian Country and for having the courage to introduce a permanent authorization for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI).  This program is saving lives in Indian Country and making great strides to reduce the trend of Type II diabetes in our communities.  A permanent authorization is absolutely the right move for promoting better patient care and will lead to better staff retention.  We look forward to working with Chairman Tester to ensure that we can enact a permanent authorization for SDPI.

You can learn more about SDPI by visiting www.nihb.org/sdpi

This week the House of Representatives will begin considering a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the federal government funded beyond September 30, 2014.  The measure is expected to pass both chambers easily as Members of Congress are eager to return home in advance of the November elections.  The bill would contain federal spending through December 11, 2014.  It also contains a reauthorization for the Export-Import Bank as well as an amendment to arm Syrian rebels against the Islamic State terrorist group.

What happens after the November elections for the remainder of FY 2015 funding is less clear.  Many in Congress have expressed the desire to enact a large spending bill known as an "omnibus" during the December "lame duck" session.  However, some analysts predict that Congress could choose to enact a full-year CR at 2014 levels if there are not enough votes to pass a FY 2015 spending bill in December.

Last night, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3043, the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code (Code) to reform the work of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Indian Country and make clear that the benefits and services provided by tribal governments for the general welfare of their people are not subject to federal income tax.  The purpose of H.R. 3043 is to provide durable, statutory protection for Tribal government programs and services that honors their status as Indian nations vested with inherent sovereign authority to provide for their Tribal citizens.

This bill is a major victory for Indian Country and we are hopeful that the Senate will also move to quickly enact this legislation.  NIHB joined other Tribal organizations in supporting the enactment of this legislation. You can read the support letter here.