U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today urged Governor Steve Bullock to improve communication with Montana Tribes and provide more relief funding to Tribal communities after an alarming report showed they have received less than 1% of funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) which was given to the state by the federal government.
“Indian Country has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is alarming that Montana’s tribal governments have received less than $600,000 of the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) allocation provided by the CARES Act, which was intended to help all Montanans,” Daines wrote. “It is disappointing that a lack of communication has led to a disparity in the amount of relief each tribal government has received. We simply cannot let bureaucracy stand in the way of much needed aid.”
To read Daines’ letter to the Governor, click HERE.
Montana’s tribes have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, a report was released showing that while Montana’s native population consists of 7% of the state’s residents, Montana’s tribes make up one third of overall COVID-19 deaths in the state.
Background:
Daines has been leading the efforts in Congress to respond to the coronavirus outbreak impacting the country. To read about Daines’ COVID-19 related efforts, click HERE.