[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MEMORIALIZING THE INTENT OF THE TRIBAL PORTION OF THE CORONAVIRUS 
 RELIEF FUND IN THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT 
                              (CARES ACT)

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                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 26, 2021

  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight a critical portion 
of the American Rescue Plan that will help native communities across 
our country mitigate and recover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
  I am proud to have helped lead the fight to secure the $20 billion 
Coronavirus Recovery Fund for Tribal Governments. It is essential that 
this fund is implemented swiftly and equitably by the Treasury 
Department as intended by Congress and following meaningful Tribal 
consultation.
  Nearly a year ago, Tribal governments across the country, recognizing 
the imminent public health threat, voluntarily closed their business 
and government operations to stem the spread of COVID-19.
  Many Tribal businesses in California's 36th District and throughout 
the State remained closed for months. It was this sacrifice, and the 
sacrifice that millions of Americans made to shelter in place and 
minimize social gatherings, that prevented this pandemic from claiming 
hundreds of thousands more lives.
  For Tribal governments, the implications of the economic shutdown are 
hard to understate. In addition to supporting the workers they employ 
and meeting basic commercial obligations, Tribal governments rely on 
the revenue generated by their businesses to provide health care, 
education, emergency services, housing, security, sanitation, and more 
for their members. Tribal governments, unlike state and county 
governments, do not have a tax base to raise revenue. Shutting down 
their businesses meant losing the revenue that supports essential 
government services.
  That is why the Coronavirus Recovery Fund for Tribal governments in 
the American Rescue Plan is so important. It is also important to 
address several issues and lessons learned from the distribution of 
these funds following the passage of the CARES Act.
  First, Treasury should allow Tribal governments to certify their 
population counts. In the CARES Act allocation, some Tribes were 
improperly listed as having zero population, while many more were 
severely undercounted based on their historical participation in Indian 
housing programs. This flawed policy resulted in some Tribes losing out 
on significant funding and it must be fixed in the implementation of 
the American Rescue Plan.
  Second, it is critical that Tribal governments be given maximum 
flexibility in determining how they use funding provided to them from 
the Coronavirus Recovery Fund. Whether it is replacing lost revenue, 
making necessary capital investments, or providing health coverage to 
members, it should be up to the Tribal governments to evaluate and 
determine the best use of this funding. This flexibility should also 
recognize the unique nature and function of Tribal governments as 
opposed to state or municipal governments.
  Lastly, I encourage Treasury to adopt a more equitable formula that 
better takes into account the disparate economic impacts that COVlD-19 
related shutdowns have had on Tribal governments and employees. In the 
implementation of the CARES Act many in my district were still left 
facing severe budget cuts. A formula that includes a proper weight 
towards economic factors would help address this issue, while also 
providing aid to those Tribes who were more economically injured by the 
pandemic.

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