Arizona representatives Ann Kirkpatrick, and Raúl Grijalva have called for House Speaker Paul Ryan and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to take immediate action on a Zika funding supplemental that includes dedicated funding for tribal communities.
In the partisan letter, Kirkpatrick and Grijalva claim that tribal communities are “among the most at-risk for tick- and mosquito-borne diseases” and that the Indian Health Service (IHS) lacks “the staffing or resources to undertake needed control operations.”
The letter includes an appeal to make grants available to tribal communities to establish managed areas of control and help provide long-term infrastructure to better protect these communities from health risks.
Kirkpatrick said, “Congress has a responsibility to stand up for our tribes and prioritize communities that are at high risk for public health threats. I urge leadership to immediately hold a vote on emergency funding.”
Grijalva said, “Now is the time to ensure funding for a robust response that will stave off the worst impacts of this virus, including in our often overlooked native populations. Tribal communities are among those most susceptible to vector-borne diseases, and many live in the geographic front lines of the Zika virus’s range. Congress must ensure our nation is equipped and prepared to respond to this threat – that means providing funding for those efforts without delay.”