Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he was pleased President Obama is making investing in Indian Country a priority.

The White House this week unveiled its fiscal year 2010 Budget proposal, which outlines the administration’s spending priorities for the following year. The budget boosts funding to Indian County to $2.5 billion for FY 2010, a $161.3 million increase from the year before.

“This budget makes a significant investment in Indian Country and shows the new administration’s commitment to funding important programs -- such as education and health care -- on tribal lands,” Bingaman said.

The president’s budget request also includes $6 million for a trust fund that is part of the settlement to implement the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. Bingaman is the author of the settlement legislation that was signed into law earlier this year. 

Additionally, the budget includes $2.4 million for the third and last payment for the Pueblo of Isleta Settlement. That settlement provides funding to restore, improve, and develop on-reservation land and natural resources of the Pueblo.

Bingaman said he is pleased the budget contains $5 billion for Indian Health Services, which has been severely underfunded in the past. At Bingaman’s urging, this includes $779 million for contract health service, to provide care for Native Americans receiving care in non-Indian healthcare facilities. This represents an increase of approximately $200 million from the fiscal year 2009 budget request.

Bingaman also said he was encouraged that the budget contained $796 million for Indian education, an increase of $72 million from FY 2009. For law enforcement initiatives, the budget provides $303 million - $30 million over FY 2009. The additional funding will help strengthen the law enforcement presence on Indian reservations by 55 Bureau officers and an estimated 80 tribal officers.

The president’s budget also includes the following for Indian Country:

• $12.4 million for the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project
• $1 million for the Jicarilla Rural Water Supply Project 
• $4 million for Renewable Energy Development on Tribal Lands
• $26.5 million for road maintenance in Indian Country, $450,000 above FY 2009
• $6.1 million to be shared by both the United Tribes Technical College and the Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico
• $4 million for tribal business development
• $4 million for tribal college facilities
• $16 million for tribal water and wastewater projects
• $800,000 to continue the tribal drinking water assistance program provided by the Albuquerque-based National Tribal Environmental Council