NIHB Response to Executive Orders
Last week, President Trump issued several Executive Orders affecting federal funding across the government. The National Indian Health Board is actively working to ensure these orders do not negatively impact the health and well-being of Tribal Nations. We have engaged extensively with members of Congress, federal agencies, and national Tribal partners to advocate for the protection of Tribal health funding. Below is our official statement, along with key talking points for Tribal Leaders and advocates. We will continue to provide updates as this situation develops.
NIHB Statement on the Implementation of Executive Orders and the Protection of Tribal Health Programs
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) continues to advocate for the federal government to uphold its trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations, particularly in the area of health. The recent executive orders and subsequent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memos raise concerns about the continuity of critical federal funding and programs that directly impact the health and well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Tribal health programs must not be left up to choice—they are a fundamental part of the federal trust responsibility. The federal government has a legal and moral obligation to provide healthcare to Tribal Nations, as established through treaties, the U.S. Constitution, and federal law. Any delay of Tribal health funding undermines this obligation and threatens the lives of Native people.
By nearly every measure—life expectancy, chronic disease rates, behavioral health challenges—Tribal communities continue to face significant health disparities. Any interruption in federal health funding jeopardizes essential healthcare services, including access to hospitals, clinics, mental health resources, public health programs, and lives.
NIHB strongly urges the Administration to ensure that Tribal health programs remain fully funded and operational and that agencies continue to engage in meaningful, government-to-government consultation with Tribal Nations to resolve compliance matters without imposing burdensome reporting requirements.
“Our ancestors sacrificed their lives and lands to secure the future of our People,” said William “Chief Bill” Smith, Valdez Village Native Vice Chairman and Chairman and Alaska Area Representative of NIHB. “The federal government must honor its trust and treaty obligations and ensure that these funding freezes do not harm our communities. The uncertainty and disruption will hit Tribes the hardest—costing us the lives of our most vulnerable, our babies and elders. That is a price we cannot and will not accept.”
NIHB stands ready to work with the administration to ensure that executive actions do not disrupt the vital healthcare services that millions of Native people rely on.
