A coalition of tribal organizations expressed serious concerns over federal layoffs impacting Indian health services and other essential programs. They urged agency heads to protect workers delivering treaty-obligated services, fearing the layoffs could have "unintended life or death consequences" for tribal citizens dependent on these services. The letter highlighted that existing exemptions are insufficient and that additional cuts, particularly in the context of federal funding pauses, would severely harm tribal nations, with a plea to prioritize support for tribal employees and services during this crisis.
When paired with the pauses on Federal funding that affected services Tribal Nations provide to their communities, the loss of Federal employees providing direct services to Tribal communities would be catastrophic.
Thus far, we have only seen limited exemptions for Federal employees serving Indian Country which do not go far enough to protect essential workers, services, and funds Tribal Nations rely on.
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