Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages H2287-H2288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE NAVAJO NATION AND THE CORONAVIRUS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran) for 5 minutes.
Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues
in Washington--and all watching at home--the dire situation COVID-19
has created in the Navajo Nation and across our Nation.
But first, standing in this Chamber today, I want to recognize the
nearly 100,000 lives lost thus far to the coronavirus, a staggering
number that has affected families, communities, economy, frontline
first responders, and many others.
Though some Americans may feel they have reached a new normal, hot
spots across our Nation are still in the thick of this pandemic, and
the fear for what might come in the fall and winter is at the forefront
of our thoughts.
One of those hot spots is the Navajo Nation. Per capita, the Navajo
Nation has more confirmed coronavirus cases than any U.S. State. Under
the CARES Act, signed into law March 27, my colleagues and I fought to
include $8 billion for Tribal governments to use for expenses incurred
during the pandemic.
The first round of that funding did not reach the Navajo Nation until
May 5. Much of the delay was because officials within the Department of
the Interior were considering allocating a portion of this $8 billion
to the Alaska Natives Corporation, a group of for-profit entities that
generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and answer to
individual stakeholders.
I immediately joined the voices of Tribes across our Nation in
demanding that these funds reach established Tribal governments, not
corporations.
On April 27, a U.S. district judge announced that the Treasury
Department could begin distributing money to federally-recognized
Tribes, and not to this corporate group. Delayed funding is not the
only issue here. While Tribes wait for the rest of the CARES Act money
they were promised, politics in Washington continue to complicate
already acute public health concerns on Navajo.
Recent reports indicate that respirator masks sent to Navajo Nation
hospitals through a Federal contract with a former White House staffer
may be faulty. I have serious concerns about the lack of oversight and
accountability in this contract-awarding process, considering that this
$3 million deal was awarded to a friend of the administration with no
prior Federal contracting experience, who had only been in business for
11 days.
It is unacceptable for government to be delivering anything other
than what is needed to any community, much less a hard-hit community
like Navajo.
I have asked my colleagues here to help me launch an immediate
investigation into the potentially faulty PPE, and to make sure that
the entire contracting process receives more oversight.
While Tribes deal with the fallout politics has caused, they endure
other
[[Page H2288]]
factors that have complicated this pandemic as well. Critical water,
sanitation, and broadband projects throughout the Navajo Nation remain
unfunded and firmly on Congress' back burner.
Since coming to Washington in 2017, I have tried to raise the alarm
about these long-overlooked issues. I have worked with Tribal
governments, shareholders in my district, and my colleagues here on
Capitol Hill to find solutions to the problems faced by Indian Country.
This public health crisis continues to shine a brighter light on the
hurdles that many Tribal families face every day, not just during a
global pandemic. I hope I can count on the many who have joined me in
speaking up for Tribal communities to continue to do so after this
crisis because lives are at stake here.
Tribal communities are tired of partisan games and political spin.
They need the resources they were promised so each sovereign Nation can
care for their people.
The Dine people are resilient and they will win this fight.
In a report yesterday from my friend and Navajo Nation President
Jonathan Nez, he noted that the Navajo Nation's own aggressive public
health measures have helped flatten the curve of COVID-19
significantly.
The situation could have been much worse without his leadership, and
the region remains at a high risk if the Federal Government does not
step up and do its part.
____________________