Letter to Ken Calvert, Chairman, James Moran, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, and Jack Kingston, Chairman, Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member Subcommitte on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies - Sufficient Funding Request for Tribal Colleges and Universities

Letter

Dear Chairman Calvert, Chairman Kingston, Ranking Member Moran, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

As the Representative from Montana, home of seven federally recognized Indian reservations and seven Tribal Colleges, I respectfully request sufficient funding to support Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) nationwide as you consider appropriations for relevant programs in fiscal year 2015. TCUs serve an important purpose in Indian country, providing education and training necessary for prosperity.

Congressional support for TCUs is especially necessary due to high unemployment rates, poverty, and a lack of access to education and employment opportunities on reservations. In Montana, Tribal Colleges such as Little Big Horn College and Salish-Kootenai College have successful education and training programs that give students the tools they need to obtain successful, good-paying jobs in forestry and resource development, which supports the timber and mineral development industries that have been cornerstones of our state's economy for decades.

TCUs are chartered by their respective American Indian tribes, which have long-established government-to-government relationships with the federal government. TCUs help provide the means for Indian people to achieve success through access to post-secondary education, which is an important aspect of upholding the federal government's trust responsibility and treaty obligations to tribal nations. Congress must not ignore these responsibilities.

As a Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian Affairs and Alaska Natives and a Member of the Congressional Native American Caucus, I remain committed to supporting TCUs and increasing employment opportunities for Indian people. I hope you consider prioritizing funding for TCUs in fiscal year 2015.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

STEVE DAINES
Member of Congress

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