Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today expressed his disappointment in the Bush Administration proposal to cut programs important to New Mexico’s Native American communities. 

The White House today unveiled its fiscal year 2009 Budget proposal, which outlines the administration’s spending priorities for the following year. The President’s budget would cut education programs in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) by $25 million, including a $15 million cut to Elementary, Secondary, and Post Secondary education programs. Funding for the Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint would also be eliminated. Additionally, the President’s budget proposes a $27 million cut for Indian school construction, 

Bingaman also said that while the budget provided a $42 million increase to the Indian Health Service, the impact is significantly diminished when compared to the overall cuts to health care programs. For example, the President calls for the elimination of the Urban Health program ($35 million cut) which provides critical funding to First Nations in Albuquerque as well as many other urban Indian health programs. 

“This budget contains deep cuts to health care and education programs that benefit Indian Country in New Mexico. I will work to fight them,” Bingaman said. 

Other programs slated to be cut are the Indian Health Professions program ($14 million cut) and Health Care Facilities Construction program ($21 million cut). 

Bingaman also said he was pleased the budget contained $26 million in funding for the BIA’s Safe Indian Communities Initiative, which is aimed at assisting law enforcement combat meth. Unfortunately, it is outweighed by cuts to other tribal law enforcement programs. For example, BIA funding for tribal courts would be cut by $2.3 million and detention center improvements by $3 million. Additionally, a total of $22.5 million is proposed to be eliminated from Department of Justice tribal law enforcement programs, including $8.6 million for Indian detention facility construction, $8.6 million for tribal courts, and $5 million in cuts for alcohol and substance abuse reduction assistance grants. 

“The combined cuts to both the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Justice needlessly worsen what is already a public safety and law enforcement crisis throughout Indian Country,” Bingaman said. 

Late last year, Bingaman successfully passed legislation that will finally allow tribes to access to DOJ meth prevention grants. Unfortunately, the administration’s FY 2009 budget also eliminates this grant program which was funded at $61 million in FY 2008. 

“I’m disappointed in the administration’s lack of commitment to fighting crime in Indian Country,” Bingaman said. 

Additionally, the proposed budget also eliminates Bingaman’s set aside for facilities for tribal colleges ($4 million in FY 2008) and tribal business development programs ($4 million in FY 2008) and cuts funding for tribal water and waste water projects from $15 million in FY 2008 to $2 million in FY 2009. 

Also the president’s budget proposes zero funding for Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project ($246,000 in FY2008), which Bingaman has introduced legislation to implement, and zero funding for the Jicarilla Apache Rural Water Project ($1,476,000 in FY2008).