Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez meets with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) in Washington, D.C., on February 6, 2020. Photo courtesy Office of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2020
Sinema Advocates for Increased Coronavirus Resources for Tribal Water and Sanitation Projects
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema urged Congressional leaders to include increased resources for water and sanitation projects for Tribal communities in future coronavirus relief legislation.
“I’ve heard directly from Navajo Nation leaders about the dire situation the Nation faces addressing the coronavirus outbreak. Ensuring Tribal communities have access to running water and adequate sanitation is a crucial step to stopping the spread of the virus,” said Sinema.
An estimated 130,000 homes on Tribal reservations lack access to running water and adequate sanitation. Additionally, the Navajo Nation, where 30 percent of the reservation population lacks access to running water, has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections per capita when compared to states throughout the country. Sinema underscored that this deficiency makes Tribal residents more susceptible to COVID-19 and other illnesses due to their inability to take basic preventative measures like handwashing. Sinema called on Congressional leaders to provide an additional $985 million in funding for the Indian Health Service’s Sanitation Facilities Construction Program to address drinking water and sanitation deficiencies on tribal reservations.
Click HERE for the full letter.
Sinema holds regular calls with Tribal leaders on the coronavirus outbreak in their communities and needed coronavirus relief. Sinema, along with a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers, urged the administration to swiftly implement the bipartisan CARES Act law and ensure resources are deployed quickly to support Tribal communities in Arizona. Sinema also asked the administration to make a stronger effort in consulting with Tribal Nations in order to truly reduce the spread of coronavirus throughout Arizona.Following Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez’s request that the non-federal cost-share portion of the FEMA-Tribal Agreement be waived, Sinema urged the Director of FEMA to waive tribal governments’ portion of costs of FEMA’s coronavirus response efforts to protect the health and safety of tribal communities.
Sinema has a resources page on her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for updated information in English and Spanish on the coronavirus.