A Breakdown in Washington Must Not Become a Breakdown in Indian Country

The government shutdown is an unnecessary financial gut punch to Indian Country.

Federal Funding Halts Undermine Native Sovereignty and Stability

When the federal government shuts down, the impact on Native communities is immediate and disproportionate. Federal funding streams—which support vital services from infrastructure to economic development—are abruptly halted because Congress cannot fulfill its most basic duty: passing a continuing resolution.

For sovereign Native Nations, this interruption isn’t merely an administrative hiccup; it’s a profound violation of the trust and treaty obligations owed by the United States.

Our communities rely on uninterrupted federal funding for basic governmental operations, and the current partisan stalemate forces many tribes to utilize precious tribal reserve funds just to keep essential programs running. This is a manufactured crisis that strains limited Tribal Nation resources and threatens the hard-won stability of our governments.

BIA Employees are Pawns in a Political Game

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is severely impacted, with a large percentage of its workforce either furloughed or forced to work without a paycheck.

According to the BIA’s contingency plan, 1,154 employees are subject to furlough, representing over a third of the BIA’s workforce. These employees, many of whom are themselves Native American, are critical to managing federal lands and upholding the trust responsibility. Yet, they are now political pawns. Many BIA staff, including essential law enforcement and child protection officers, must report to work without compensation.

Meanwhile, furloughed staff have no income, creating a secondary economic hardship across Indian Country. This direct assault on the economic security of federal employees must end. Federal worker stability is crucial for ensuring the smooth functioning of Tribal government services, and we cannot allow the livelihoods of these dedicated individuals to be held hostage.

SNAP Cuts Target Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

The threat to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a matter of life and death for our most vulnerable citizens. Approximately 24% of American Indian and Alaska Native households utilize SNAP benefits, a rate nearly double the national average, underscoring our communities’ high reliance on this support (Source: Over one million American Indian, Alaska Natives at risk if SNAP funding lapses, ICT News).

As the shutdown continues, the Department of Agriculture warns that SNAP funds could run dry, putting food security in Native communities at severe risk. This lapse would force a devastating choice for our elders and families: go hungry or overburden tribal food assistance programs that are already stretched thin. This is a humanitarian emergency! Congress must ensure that SNAP funding remains constant, thereby protecting low-income citizens and upholding our collective moral obligation to ensure no one goes without basic nutrition.

Unaffordable Care Act Subsidies: Urban Natives Cannot Afford the Price Tag

The problem extends to urban Natives, a population often overlooked but profoundly impacted. Approximately 70% of urban Native Americans rely on federal healthcare assistance, often through the “Unaffordable” Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Democrats are currently holding up a clean government funding bill, insisting that it must include an extension of enhanced ACA subsidies. These enhanced, taxpayer-funded health insurance subsidies are set to expire, which would lead to significantly higher premiums for millions of citizens.

Although Republicans are rightly seeking to control runaway government spending, Democrats need to work to pass a simple Continuing Resolution (CR).

Democrats must cross the aisle to immediately re-open the government!