House Appropriations Committee UIHP Funding Update

Yesterday the House Appropriations Committee released their FY2019 Interior and Environment bill.  The Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) is pleased to report that the bill would fund Urban Indian Health Programs at $60 million - $13,578,000 over the President’s budget request. This bill would also fund IHS at $5.9 billion, $370 million above the fiscal year 2018 level. If this bill passes into law, it will mark the first time in many years that funding for UIHPs amounts to more than 1% of the total IHS budget.

This bill will now go to a full House vote, most likely in July, before moving on to the Senate for consideration.

The Seattle Indian Health Board would like to acknowledge the efforts of Esther Lucero, SIHB CEO, and Abigail Echo-hawk, Chief Research Officer and Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, for their compelling testimony in front of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. We also want to thank the tribal leaders and other urban Indian health leaders who advocated for IHS funding increases and investment in Native health. We raise our hands to you.

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