PRESIDENT CLINTON:
CALLING FOR PASSAGE OF HIS HISTORIC NATIVE AMERICAN INITIATIVE

"We're in the midst of the longest, strongest period of economic growth in our history. There is no better time than now to make sure Indian country has the tools to succeed in the new economy."

President Bill Clinton
Friday, February 25, 2000

Today at the White House, President Clinton, joined by tribal and Congressional leaders, called for passage of his $9.4 billion Native American FY2001 budget initiative. The initiative calls for an increase in funding of $1.2 billion over FY 2000 – the largest increase ever. Prior to the President's statement, tribal leaders met with senior Administration officials to discuss the initiative, which recognizes that the entire federal government has a trust responsibility for Native American tribes. Accordingly, it provides funding across many agencies, rather than simply at the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services' Indian Health Service, both of which traditionally have provided the bulk of funding for Native American communities.

President Clinton's Native American FY2001 budget initiative makes critical investments in education, health care, law enforcement, infrastructure, and economic development in Indian Country. Highlights of the initiative include:

Educational Opportunities, School Construction and Repair

• More than double funding to $300 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs school construction and repair;
• $10 million for training and recruiting new Native American teachers;
• $5 million for the new American Indian Administrator Corps;
• $50 million in funding from the new School Renovation Loan and Grant Program; and
• $77 million, an increase of $25 million, for tribal colleges

Community Empowerment, New Markets and Digital Divide Initiatives

• $10 million to address the Digital Divide;
• $5 million for Community Development Financial Institution expansion;
• $4.5 million for business assistance at the Small Business Administration;
• $1.25 million to expand Business LINC to Indian Country;
• $650 million, an increase of $30 million, in block grants for Indian housing; and
• $10 million increase to $53 million to strengthen tribal environmental programs

Public Safety

• $439 million, an increase of $103 million, to improve law enforcement in Indian Country

Health Care

• $2.6 billion, an increase of $230 million, for the Indian Health Service

Building and Repairing Infrastructure

• $349 million, an increase of $117 million, to build roads and bridges in Indian Country; and
• $49 million, an increase of $46 million, for tribal infrastructure projects.

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