Issue Position: American Indian Affairs

Issue Position

Issue Position: American Indian Affairs

American Indian Affairs
With over 550 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages in the United States, nine American Indian tribes are located within the boundaries of the State of South Dakota. The reservations and populations vary in size; however, most are large tribes, with land-based economies. As a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I am committed to representing the voice of South Dakota's American Indians and American Indians/Alaskan Natives throughout the United States. As a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, I continue to advocate for projects that advance the quality of life for the members of the American Indian tribes in South Dakota.

During my time in Congress, I have enjoyed a strong working relationship with the tribes in South Dakota and look forward to continuing that relationship. Despite considerable development over the past generation, American Indian tribes in South Dakota continue to face significant challenges, including staggering unemployment rates, inadequate health care, high crime rates, and educational inequalities. Each of the tribes in South Dakota entered treaties with the federal government guaranteeing certain rights and responsibilities. I consider it to be my responsibility to do everything I can to hold the federal government accountable for the promises it made in the past.

Economic Development in Indian Country
Fostering small business growth is a vital step toward increasing employment opportunities and improving local economies in Indian Country. Encouraging the startup and growth of Native American-owned businesses is an important component of my Hometown Prosperity Plan for improving our South Dakota economy.

As a part of the plan, I will renew efforts to pass my Native American Small Business Development Act. This legislation is designed to create new private sector jobs and increase prosperity in Indian Country. It would create three grant programs to promote new Native American-owned businesses and establish a permanent Office of Native American Affairs within the U.S. Small Business Administration. I first introduced this legislation in 2002. It has passed the full Senate more than once, but was never enacted into law.

Housing, Crime, and Drug Use
Indian Affairs Issue Page Photo 1I recently introduced the Public and Indian Housing Crime and Drug Elimination Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (S. 1327). This legislation would reauthorize funding for the Public and Indian Housing Crime and Drug Elimination Program (PIHDEP) to provide funding to public and Indian housing entities that are battling drug use and drug-related violence.

This measure would authorize Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2011 grants and direct payments to Public Housing Authorities (PHA), Tribally Designated Housing Entities, and Indian Housing Authorities for the elimination of crime and drug use. Funding will be used in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies to combat drug problems through rehabilitation, relapse prevention, education, capital improvements, and improved security. From 1989-2001, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided grants and direct payments to housing entities through PIHDEP. The program made significant progress in addressing and eliminating drug use and drug-related crime in public and Indian housing communities; however, under the Bush Administration, the program was zeroed out from the HUD budget since FY 2002. I will continue to fight to provide funding for public and Indian housing and work to curb the negative impacts of drug use and drug violence in Indian Country.

Renewable Energy in Indian Country
Tribal lands hold enormous potential for commercial-scale wind and solar energy, but development to date has been extremely limited. South Dakota's tribes have some of the best potential for wind energy in the country. Developing renewable energy would promote economic development for tribes while simultaneously decreasing our nation's dependence on foreign sources of energy.

I recently introduced the Tribal Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Act (S. 802) to make wind energy projects in Indian Country easier to get off the ground. This measure would help tribes in South Dakota and across the country better utilize the Production Tax Credit (PTC). The PTC is a financial incentive for renewable energy producers that can effectively reduce an investor's production costs to zero. While tribes are eligible for those tax credits, they have no federal tax liability against which they can apply the PTC. Thus, projects off of tribal land that are funded by private investors are more competitive than joint tribal-private partnerships. I will continue to promote renewable energy development in Indian Country to benefit tribes and to advance our nation's clean energy economy.

Source