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The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is calling on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to immediately reject proposed budget cuts to the Indian Health Service (IHS) included in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) passback for the Department of Health and Human Services.
The proposal would slash nearly 30% from the IHS base funding, end advance appropriations, halt funding for health care and sanitation facility construction, restrict Tribal self-governance opportunities, and cut nearly $900 million in critical services and facility support in FY 2026.
“These are not just budget numbers—these are our lives,” said NIHB Chairman William “Chief Bill” Smith, Valdez Native Tribe. “The proposed cuts would lead to the closure of clinics, loss of essential staff, and an increase in preventable deaths in our communities. Indian Country cannot afford this.”
IHS already operates with a 30% vacancy rate and faces chronic underfunding. Many Tribal health facilities are one provider away from closing their doors entirely. Further budget reductions would cripple the system and violate the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.
“Secretary Kennedy has said that Indian health is a priority for his leadership. Now is the time to act on that promise”, said Smith. “Indian Country needs a champion at HHS who will stand with us and fight for the resources and respect our communities deserve.”
Other potential impacts from the proposed budget include damage to critical Tribal health infrastructure, severance of government-to-government emergency response pathways, ending the only Tribal-serving Alzheimer’s program, halting essential mental health initiatives like Circles of Care, eliminating SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health Grants, and significantly reducing access to vital public health data on AI/AN populations.
NIHB stands ready to work with Secretary Kennedy and all federal partners to ensure the survival and strength of the Indian Health Service and uphold the federal trust responsibility.
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