SIOUX FALLS, SD –
South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Suzanne Jones Pranger issued the following statement on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holding a town hall and field hearing today and tomorrow in Rapid City on crisis in the Indian Health Service and the “IHS Accountability Act of 2016,” co-sponsored by Sen. John Thune.
“While IHS leaders must be held accountable for their agency’s failures, Republicans in Congress who supported the Budget Control Act of 2011 (also known as “the sequester”) and then steadfastly refused to address IHS funding until now – including Senator Thune – should be held accountable as well. This lack of action has denied much-needed resources to tribal communities, and helped bring about the current crisis.
“We are glad this issue is finally receiving the attention it deserves, and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is holding hearings in South Dakota. We welcome the committee and its staff, especially Chairman Barasso, to our state. Resolving this crisis and improving health care service and access for tribal communities is vital for well-being of thousands of South Dakotans, and must happen without delay. We hope the stories shared in Rapid City yesterday and today inform the committee’s deliberations and lead to solutions.”
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