Fighting crime and reforming healthcare in tribal communities

Throughout the nation and right here in Central Washington, our Native American communities are disproportionately impacted by lower rates of positive healthcare outcomes and violent crime. Throughout my time in Congress, I have built strong relationships with tribal partners and have worked on comprehensive legislation to address some of these challenges.

In rural communities, healthcare continues to be a challenge, and given the health disparities that exist in tribal nations, recruitment of quality health personnel should be a priority. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is responsible for providing patients with the highest level of care at its federally operated facilities, but currently, we have seen some issues with their healthcare credentialing systems. IHS systems are facing a backlog in onboarding new providers, which has caused those who are interested in working for them to pursue opportunities elsewhere. There have also been numerous recorded incidents where healthcare professionals with histories of malpractice claims have bypassed the guardrails put in place to make sure medical professionals are just that — professionals. This is unacceptable.

The lack of a centralized credentialing system has negatively impacted the IHS, which is why I recently introduced the Uniform Credentials for IHS Providers Act. This legislation amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act for the development and implementation of a centralized IHS system to credential licensed health professionals. I have heard from numerous constituents that they are having trouble with the current system, leading to negative health outcomes. This bill is the key to ensuring tribal communities receive the healthcare they deserve, and now that it has received a hearing with the House Natural Resources Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, I am looking forward to seeing this bill marked up and brought to the House Floor for a vote.

Healthcare is not the only challenge our tribal residents face — they also are dealing with heightened rates of violent crime. Native tribes in Central Washington, and across the nation, are encountering significant barriers in recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers for their reservation lands. While their communities are combatting the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIW) as well as the fentanyl crisis, they need to be well-equipped. I introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act last year to help bridge this gap. Tribes face tight budget constraints and a shortage of qualified officers, and this bill would eliminate those barriers by affirming tribal law enforcement officers possess the same authority as non-tribal federal officers when they meet the necessary training and background requirements. In March of this year, this legislation was marked up and agreed to by the House Committee on Natural Resources, and now awaits further action by the full House of Representatives.

Indigenous women and girls are facing high rates of violence, which is tearing families and communities apart. Indigenous women face a murder rate ten times higher than all other ethnicities, and as of March 2024, Washington state has over 100 open cases for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIW). We must make sure these heinous crimes are solved and no longer under-reported or under-investigated, which is why I introduced a resolution to designate May 5th as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This will help raise national awareness of this crisis and serve as a reminder in Congress that we simply must do more to support our threatened native communities. I also had my bills, the Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act signed into law to address the unsolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and help to finally deliver justice to the families of victims across the country.

Bridging the gaps in tribal healthcare and prioritizing public safety remains a priority of mine in Congress, and while we have made some significant steps towards actionable solutions, we still have a lot of work to do both in Central Washington and in Congress. I am proud of the relationships I have built with our tribal communities, and together we will continue to deliver for tribes in Central Washington and across the United States.