The Department of Interior has listed some of the benefits less talked about from the $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan signed by President Biden last week. COVID-19 has exacted an especially high toll in Indian Country.
People living on reservations are four times more likely to have COVID-19 and American Indians and Alaska Natives are nearly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than white Americans. Consequently, $900 million will go to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which will include direct aid payments to Tribal governments and funding to address concerns related to housing and potable water.
$850 million is earmarked for the Bureau of Indian Education, which will benefit BIE-funded schools and Tribal colleges and universities. Another $105 million is destined for the Fish and Wildlife Service to address wildlife trafficking, wildlife disease outbreaks, and wildlife inspections, and for research to strengthen early detection, rapid response, and science-based management to address wildlife disease outbreaks before they become pandemics and strengthen capacity for wildlife health monitoring.
The Interior Department continues to work with federal, state, local, Tribal and territorial governments, public health officials, health care providers, researchers and the public to execute a whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of the American people.
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