{"id":6564,"date":"2021-01-15T12:19:25","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T17:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=6564"},"modified":"2022-03-09T19:44:54","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T00:44:54","slug":"director-of-indian-health-service-steps-down-at-request-of-president-elect-joe-biden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/15\/director-of-indian-health-service-steps-down-at-request-of-president-elect-joe-biden\/","title":{"rendered":"Director of Indian Health Service steps down at request of President-elect Joe Biden"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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Indian Health Service: 2020 in Review<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
Director of Indian Health Service steps down at request of President-elect Joe Biden<\/div>\r\n
Friday, January 15, 2021<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nMichael Weahkee<\/a> will be stepping down as director of the Indian Health Service<\/a> on January 20 as the U.S. government transitions to a new presidential administration. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nWeahkee, a citizen of the Pueblo of Zuni, said in a letter to Indian Country providers<\/a> that he was asked to step down by President-elect Joe Biden. He said the request was “standard” as one executive branch administration transitions to another.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“It has been a sincere honor to have been entrusted to serve in this role,” Weahkee said in the January 11 letter<\/a>. “I believe the IHS is more capable now than ever before of fulfilling our vision of healthy communities and quality health care systems through strong partnerships and culturally responsive practices.”\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWeahkee, who has worked in tribal and Indian health for more than two decades, was nominated by President Donald Trump in October 2019. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate<\/a> in April 2020 with the support of numerous tribal nations and Indian Country organizations.\r\n

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Michael Weahkee. Photo: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nWeahkee stepped in after Trump abandoned his first nominee<\/a> in 2018. Robert Weaver, a citizen of the Quapaw Nation, came under fire for his limited professional and educational background. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nWeaver attended college but his resume<\/a> does not state whether he obtained a degree. He also lacked direct experience in providing clinical care, which would have made him the first director of the IHS without medical capabilities.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe IHS is part of the Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>. Biden has named Xavier Becerra<\/a>, the attorney general of California and a former member of U.S. Congress, as his nominee, to lead the federal agency as Indian Country deals with the worst public health crisis<\/a> in more than a century.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services has never been as vital or as urgent as it is today,” Becerra said on December 8. “The COVID pandemic and its economic fallout have thrust families into crisis.”\r\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tXavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) on X\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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In Congress, I helped pass the Affordable Care Act. As California’s Attorney General, I defended it. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, I will build on our progress and ensure every American has access to quality, affordable health care\u2014through this pandemic and beyond.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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<\/p>\r\n“Too many Americans are sick or have lost loved ones,” Becerra said. “Too many have lost their jobs, and with that, their healthcare and hope.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn his work as attorney general of California, Becerra has defended the legality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from attacks by Republican officials from other states. The ACA contains a permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act<\/a>, which could be struck down if the larger law is declared unconstitutional.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court<\/a>. Oral arguments took place on November 10. A decision is expected before June.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cTribal nations prepaid for our health care,\u201d Chairwoman Amber Torres of the Walker River Paiute Tribe said during the National Tribal Health Conference<\/a>, which was hosted by the National Indian Health Board<\/a>, last October. \u201cOur treaties require the federal government to fund our people\u2019s care for the next seven generations and beyond.\u201d\r\n

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Speaking of Brackeen, a Republican state-sponsored attack on Indian Child Welfare Act & the nation-nation relationship, it's been nearly a year since case was reheard by 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, pre-COVID.

Case determines whether ICWA lives or dies.https:\/\/t.co\/EBgq8JKthO<\/a><\/p>— indianz.com (@indianz) January 14, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>