For Immediate Release—July 7, 2025
MEDIA STATEMENT
New York, NY—The GOP megabill was signed by President Trump on July 4. Among a slew of provisions, the controversial bill will give corporations and higher-income Americans significant tax cuts, dismantle Medicaid and nutritional food programs meant to support lower-income families, and open up federal lands for oil, gas, and coal development. The following statement from Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, can be quoted in full or in part.
“The passage of what Trump calls the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is as ugly as it can get for the First Peoples of this country. It will disproportionately impact rural areas and lower-income families, while those with higher incomes and corporations benefit from massive tax breaks.
Not only is the bill a total disaster for a majority of people who live in the United States, but it disregards the United States’ treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations and urban Native communities. Cuts to programs like Medicaid not only affect Native peoples’ ability to access health care, but cutting it will force health care clinics and rural hospitals to close, which is a violation of our treaty rights. It is also a violation of human rights for all. The right to accessible health in the 21st century is a human right.
The bill will also weaken environmental regulations, impacting tribal lands and natural resources. It rolls out a red carpet for oil, gas, and coal companies to exploit public lands without legally required Tribal consultation or public engagement. Deals will be cut behind the backs of all communities.
This bill will lead to the destruction of Indigenous sacred places, areas where we continue to practice our traditions and cultures and are supposed to be legally protected by law.
This is yet another example of policymaking that silences Indigenous voices, violates our sovereignty, and threatens the future of our communities. It is yet another step in undermining the Constitution and the democratic structures that protect our treaty rights and the civil liberties for all. While this is a significant setback, we as Indigenous peoples are resilient and have endured generations of injustice, so we will continue to fight for our lands, our rights, and our future. We will stand with the vast majority of people who will be hurt by a bill that sacrifices our health and well-being for tax breaks for the rich.”
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