Oversight Hearing:
Hearing on "Policy Priorities for the Administration's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget for Indian Affairs and Insular Areas"
Indian, Insular and Alaska Native AffairsDate: Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Time: 10:30 AM Location: Longworth House Office Building 1324
OVERSIGHT HEARING ON:
“Policy Priorities for the Administration’s FY 2019 Budget for Indian Affairs and Insular Areas.”
TOPLINE MESSAGES:
The FY 2019 budget request for Indian Affairs (IA) is $2.4 billion, a 16.1% decrease from FY 2017 enacted levels. Nearly every line item in the IA budget would see reductions.
The proposed cuts in the FY 2019 budget for the Office of Insular Affairs, (OIA) will be disastrous for the U.S.-affiliated insular areas, given OIA’s broad authority to address the islands special needs and address their concerns.
The Administration’s stated goal at Indian Health Service (IHS) is to prioritize direct health care services, and fund staffing and operating costs for new and replacement facilities. To that end, the budget request for FY 2019 is $5.424 billion – a $384 million increase above the FY 2017 enacted level.
Witnesses
John Tahsuda
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs
