Greg Stanton Celebrates Unanimous House Passage of Native Healthcare Bill

Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) is celebrating the unanimous passage of his bipartisan Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act in the House.

What the Bill Does

Rep. Stanton's Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act elevates the Indian Health Service (IHS) Director to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This gives the IHS more direct communication with the federal government to coordinate healthcare policy for Native American and Alaska Native Tribes more efficiently.

The late Senator John McCain (R-AZ) first introduced similar legislation in 1994; it passed the Senate five times but never received a vote in the House.

As a result, Rep. Stanton sought to correct that problem himself.

What Stanton is Saying

Ahead of the vote, the Arizona congressman said on the House floor, "The federal government has a sacred trust obligation to provide health care to native communities. And for far too long, we have fallen short of meeting it."

"As an Assistant Secretary, the head of IHS would finally have the pay and hiring authorities needed to tackle chronic workforce shortages and disparities in access to care," Stanton continued, adding, "It means faster hiring, better retention, and a direct line to the Secretary on every matter affecting Indian health."

Previous Bipartisan Native Health Work

In May, Stanton teamed up with Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) to introduce an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that redirects funding from the VA's General Administration account to the VA Office of Rural Health, earmarking it for mobile clinics and targeted clinical staffing designed specifically to serve Tribal communities.

"This measure would help close gaps in coverage by expanding outreach and support for these patriots," said Rep. Crane, crediting Stanton for building the bipartisan consensus needed to get it across the finish line.