Honda Drastically Increases Funding To Support Native American Crime Victims

Press Release

More than 85 percent of Native American women in tribal communities will experience violence in their lifetimes. This devastating number of violent attacks is the highest rate of any group in the nation.

Native American children are also exposed to levels of violence at astronomically high rates. As a result, they experience rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that are triple the national average.

With that in mind, U.S. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley, Calif.), the top Democrat on the relevant appropriations subcommittee, worked with Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and others to pass a bipartisan amendment to the Commerce, Science and Justice Appropriations legislation, increasing spending on Native American crime victims by more than 7100 percent.

That number is not a typo.

Currently, less than 7 cents per $100 from the Crime Victims Fund goes to tribal programs, despite Congress tripling overall allocations for the Fund. The Fund is completely fee-funded through criminal fines and penalties, costing the taxpayer nothing. Honda's amendment, which passed overwhelmingly, will mandate that five percent of these life-saving funds be dedicated to Native American victims.

"I want to thank my colleagues, especially Mr. Cole, for supporting this amendment and for supporting our Native American families," said Honda. "The history of our nation is littered with a disgusting litany of abuse and injustice perpetrated by our government on Native Americans. Thankfully, we have begun to do better. We have begun making changes that recognize the challenges faced in Native communities, and potential solutions to them. Today, we have taken a first step toward one of those solutions."

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