STRONGER ENGAGEMENT FOR INDIAN HEALTH NEEDS ACT OF 2025

On 2026-09-14, Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4) delivered a floor speech titled "STRONGER ENGAGEMENT FOR INDIAN HEALTH NEEDS ACT OF 2025" in the House.

STRONGER ENGAGEMENT FOR INDIAN HEALTH NEEDS ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5568-H5570] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STRONGER ENGAGEMENT FOR INDIAN HEALTH NEEDS ACT OF 2025 Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 741) to elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 741 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INDIAN HEALTH. (a) Establishment.--Section 601(a) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(a)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``tribes'' and inserting ``Tribes''; (2) in paragraph (2)-- (A) by striking ``a Director'' and inserting ``an Assistant Secretary for Indian Health (in this section referred to as the `Assistant Secretary')''; (B) by striking ``The Director shall report'' and inserting ``The Assistant Secretary shall report directly''; (C) by striking ``the Director'' and inserting ``the Assistant Secretary''; and (D) by striking ``A Director'' and inserting ``An Assistant Secretary''; (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``date of enactment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization and Extension Act of 2009 shall serve as Director'' and inserting ``date of enactment of the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025 shall serve as Assistant Secretary''; (4) in paragraph (4), in the matter before subparagraph (A), by striking ``Director'' and inserting ``Assistant Secretary''; and (5) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(5) Deputy assistant secretary.--The Assistant Secretary may-- ``(A) with the approval of the Secretary, appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary; and ``(B) consistent with applicable law, utilize officers and employees of the Department as necessary to administer the activities of the Service.''. (b) Duties.--Section 601(c) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(c)) is amended-- (1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by striking ``Director'' and inserting ``Assistant Secretary''; and (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``date of enactment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization and Extension Act of 2009'' and inserting ``date of enactment of the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025''. (c) Authority.--Section 601(d)(1) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(d)(1)) is amended in the matter before subparagraph (A), by striking ``Director'' and inserting ``Assistant Secretary''. (d) References.--Section 601 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(e) References.--Any reference to the Director of the Indian Health Service in any Federal law, Executive order, rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or in any document of or relating to the Director of the Indian Health Service, shall be deemed to refer to the Assistant Secretary.''. (e) Rate of Basic Pay.-- (1) Positions at level iv.--Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Services (6)'' and inserting ``Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Services (7)''. (2) Positions at level v.--Section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) each will control 20 minutes. [[Page H5569]] The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. General Leave Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 741, the bill now under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas? There was no objection. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 741 is a straightforward bill to strengthen Indian health leadership within the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill redesignates the Director of the Indian Health Service as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Health within HHS. The Federal Government has longstanding responsibilities for Indian healthcare rooted in the Federal trust responsibility. The Indian Health Service is the principal Federal entity responsible for providing health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Indian health issues do not begin and end at IHS. Many of these issues require coordination across HHS, including healthcare access, workforce recruitment and retention, behavioral health, public health, and health infrastructure. H.R. 741 will help that coordination by elevating IHS' senior within the Department. This bill is narrowly tailored. The IHS director is already appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, so H.R. 741 does not create a new Senate-confirmed appointment. It does not create a new program or change how IHS delivers healthcare. Instead, this bill makes a senior-level structural change to better coordinate health issues across the Department. This is a practical and reasonable step. When Indian health issues cut across IHS, the senior official responsible for Indian health should be positioned to work across HHS. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 741, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC, August 24, 2026. Hon. Brett Guthrie, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Guthrie: I write regarding H.R. 741, the ``Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025,'' which was ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources on May 14, 2026. I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and appreciate your willingness to forgo further consideration of the bill. I acknowledge that the Committee on Energy and Commerce will not formally consider H.R. 741 and agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein. I am pleased to support your request to name members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce to any conference committee to consider such provisions. I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill and will include such letters in the committee report on H.R. 741. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation. Sincerely, Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, August 24, 2026. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Westerman: I write regarding H.R. 741, the ``Stronger Engagement for Indiana Health Needs Act of 2025.'' While there are provisions of the legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, I wanted to notify you that the Committee will forgo action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. This is done with the understanding that the Committee's jurisdictional interests over this and similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees on H.R. 741 and requests your support when such a request is made. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 741 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the committee report on the bill or in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Thank you again for your assistance on this matter. Sincerely, Brett Guthrie, Chairman. {time} 1630 Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 741, the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act, introduced by my friend and colleague from Arizona (Mr. Stanton). The Indian Health Service, or IHS, is the primary Federal agency responsible for providing healthcare to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Yet, for decades, the agency has fallen short of meeting our trust and treaty obligations as we have left IHS underfunded and underprioritized. Tribal leaders have long called for greater Federal attention to Indian health in IHS. H.R. 741 responds to their advocacy by elevating the Director of IHS to an Assistant Secretary within the Department of Health and Human Services. This simple but meaningful change would give IHS a stronger voice within the Department, ensure the healthcare needs of Tribal patients are properly represented, and elevate health disparities, including inadequate infrastructure, limited services, and staffing shortages, facing Tribal communities. It is the Federal Government's responsibility to ensure that Indian Country has the culturally competent, robust, and accessible healthcare they deserve, and H.R. 741 will help us uphold this premise. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton) and the ranking member for working with us on this legislation. I have no furt

Referenced legislation: HR741, HR741