Secretary Haaland statement on Biden budget request

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior

Friday, April 9, 2021

Indianz.Com

Secretary Deb Haaland is praising President Joe Biden for seeking more funds for the Department of the Interior, the federal agency with the most trust and treaty responsibilities in Indian Country.

In a statement on Friday morning, Haaland said the fiscal year 2022 budget request will help Interior meet its obligations to tribes and their citizens. Biden is seeking $4 billion for these programs, or more than $600 million over current levels.

“As our country faces the interlocking challenges of a global pandemic, economic downturn, racial injustice, and the climate crisis, Interior is committed to an all-of-government approach to build back better,” said Deb Haaland. “President Biden’s funding request provides much-needed resources to Tribal Nations, prioritizes racial justice and equity, and invests in healthy lands, waters, and a clean energy economy that will create good-paying jobs.”

Interior includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education and the recently-created Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, which is being assigned most of the functions of the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians.

From Interior: Honoring Our Commitments to Tribal Nations

Strengthening the nation-to-nation relationship with Tribal Nations is a top priority for the Biden administration. The discretionary request provides $4 billion, more than $600 million over the 2021 enacted level, to fund a range of Interior Tribal programs, including for teachers and students in Tribal schools, clean energy development, and Tribal law enforcement and court programs to improve safety. These investments will directly enhance the educational opportunities of over 46,000 K-12 students in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools, support the effective management of the 56 million acres of lands held in trust for the benefit of Tribal Nations – the largest land trust in the world – and strengthen self-determination and self-governance programs to bolster Tribal sovereignty. These investments will also complement the American Rescue Plan’s substantial investments in Indian Country, as well as other investments in the discretionary request, to support and strengthen Tribal communities.

Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request Letter: PDF

FY2022-Discretionary-Request

Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Press Release: PDF

FY2022-Discretionary-Request-Press-Release