October 26, 2021

Dear USET/USET SPF Family,

We write to you again to provide an update on the status of direct funding for Indian Country as negotiations continue on the budget reconciliation bill. At present, we are facing the strong possibility of up to a 75% reduction to the $20.5 billion originally identified for Tribal Nations in this legislation. With conversations on the funding level and scope of the bill occurring right now at the highest levels, it is critical that Tribal Nations weigh in immediately to ensure our funding is preserved.

Earlier this afternoon, USET SPF sent a letter to Democratic Leadership urging them to reconsider any cuts to the funding identified for Tribal Nations and instead fight to ensure we are meaningfully included in any final agreement. We strongly encourage our member Tribal Nations to send similar letters as soon as possible to Democratic Leadership and your Democratic representatives and senators. To that end, we enclose a template letter for your use. In addition, we provide email contact information for Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: Veronica_Watters@schumer.senate.gov

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: McKenzie.Fields@mail.house.gov

The Build Back Better agenda is meant to leave a lasting legacy on America’s physical, social, and economic landscape. While we understand that overall spending under the reconciliation bill must be reduced in order to gain additional votes, this cannot and should not be accomplished to the detriment of Tribal Nations and federal trust and treaty obligations. This will only exacerbate centuries of unfulfilled obligations and broken promises, many of which have come into horrifyingly sharper focus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

USET SPF will continue to monitor negotiations on the budget reconciliation bill and will provide further information as it develops. For more information, please contact Liz Malerba, USET SPF Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, at lmalerba@usetinc.org.

October 24, 2021

Dear USET/USET SPF Family,

As you are likely aware, partisan disagreement over the scope and funding level of the forthcoming budget reconciliation bill, a "social" infrastructure package that is central to President Biden's two-part COVID-19 recovery strategy, is impeding further Congressional action on this and the physical infrastructure bill, H.R. 3684, The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In order gain enough votes to ensure passage of both packages, the White House and Congressional Democrats are currently engaged in negotiations to reduce the cost of the budget reconciliation bill by well over $1 trillion from it's initial $3.5 trillion price tag.

As cuts are being made, we have been informed that billions of dollars in funding for Indian Country is potentially on the chopping block. This is completely unacceptable, given the decades of neglected federal infrastructure obligations in Indian Country and the devastating impact of COVID-19 on our communities. 

Negotiations are currently occurring mainly between the White House and Senate Democrats. USET SPF urges its members to contact your Senators and the White House immediately and tell them to uphold trust and treaty obligations to Indian Country by preserving all Tribal provisions in the reconciliation bill. To determine your Senators and receive contact information, please click here. 

For more information, please contact Liz Malerba, USET SPF Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, at lmalerba@usetinc.org.

Established in 2014, the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization advocating on behalf of thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET SPF is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and advancing the inherent sovereign rights and authorities of Tribal Nations and in assisting its membership in dealing effectively with public policy issues.