Simpson Remarks at Budget Hearing on Indian Health Service

Good morning, everyone.  I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Indian Health Service Chief of Staff Clayton Fulton.  Mr. Fulton has assumed the delegable duties of the IHS Director, and I thank him for being with us today to discuss the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request.

This Committee—on a bipartisan basis—takes the responsibility of prioritizing and supporting healthcare services for American Indians and Alaska Natives very seriously. In FY23, Congress provided advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service for the first time. Advance appropriations continue to provide the Indian health system with the certainty needed to properly serve communities, provide stability for health care providers, and improve long-term planning for services.

This FY27 President’s budget request includes advance appropriations for FY28.  This is a monumental step in the right direction.  In doing so, this Administration is clearly communicating its commitment to the funding certainty that healthcare professionals and programs in Indian Country so desperately need to provide quality care.      

For FY27, the President’s budget requests approximately $9 billion in discretionary funding for IHS, maintaining funding for critical programs and fully funding estimates for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) leases. It also proposes $5.6 billion in advance appropriations for FY28.

I know this funding does not begin to meet the full need, but I am encouraged by the commitment to continuity of funding that this budget represents; and believe it signals a deeper understanding of our responsibility to uphold our trust and treaty obligations.

I look forward to hearing how IHS will embrace and fully integrate advance appropriations to improve how it plans and operates IHS programs. 

Mr. Fulton, I really enjoyed the opportunity we had to meet and discuss your perspective on this budget.  You are doing vital work to fulfill our trust and treaty agreements and to maintain and improve Tribal members’ access to quality healthcare. 

Thank you again for being with us this morning and I look forward to our discussion.