More than 30 Arizona Democratic lawmakers are pushing back against a federal proposal that could significantly alter how Native communities in Southern Arizona receive healthcare.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Democratic caucuses of the Arizona Legislature called on the department to halt plans to close the Indian Health Service (IHS) Tucson Area Office and fold its operations into the Phoenix Area Office.
The lawmakers' concern begins with the office's role in serving the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the Tohono O'odham Nation, and thousands of other Native residents throughout the region.
Beyond direct healthcare, the Tucson office provides coordination, technical assistance, and oversight that lawmakers say helps keep services aligned with local needs, something they argue a Phoenix-based office may struggle to replicate from a distance.
Prioritizing Native Populations
The letter also highlights the office's connection to the Tucson Indian Center, which has long served urban Native populations with health referrals, behavioral health support, transportation, case management, and other culturally grounded services for families living both on and off tribal lands.
A central thread running through the letter is the federal government's trust responsibility to Tribal Nations, a legal and moral obligation the lawmakers say requires meaningful consultation before any decision moves forward.
"Any decision that affects healthcare access, service delivery, or tribal self-determination must be made in partnership with Tribal governments," the letter states.
The lawmakers acknowledged that administrative efficiency is sometimes cited as a reason for agency consolidations, but argued that streamlining cannot come at the cost of accessibility or cultural responsiveness.
The letter calls on HHS and IHS to pause implementation, conduct government-to-government consultation with affected tribes, and publicly explain how service quality would be maintained before any final decision is reached.
The letter was signed by state senators and representatives spanning districts across the state, including several members of the Navajo Nation and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
