The CARES Act was passed on March 27th and tribal governments have yet to receive funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund
PHOENIX – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema called on the Treasury Department to immediately ensure Tribal communities across Arizona receive the CARES Act funding they are due. Over a month ago, Congress passed the CARES Act and designated $8 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to ensure Tribal governments have the resources needed during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Tribal communities in Arizona need all available resources to fight the coronavirus pandemic now. The federal government must immediately disburse CARES Act funding to Tribal communities; lives are depending on it,” said Sinema.
Congress designated $8 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) established in the CARES Act to ensure sovereign Tribal governments have the resources needed during the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act was passed over a month ago, yet this funding has yet to be disbursed to tribal governments.
Read Sinema’s full letter HERE.
Sinema recently urged the Treasury Department and SBA to reverse course and allow Tribal gaming operations access to PPP funding. Following Sinema’s letter, the federal agencies reversed course.
Sinema holds regular calls with Tribal leaders on the coronavirus outbreak in their communities and needed coronavirus relief. Sinema, along with a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers, urged the administration to swiftly implement the bipartisan CARES Act law and ensure resources are deployed quickly to support Tribal communities in Arizona. Sinema also asked the administration to make a stronger effort in consulting with Tribal Nations in order to truly reduce the spread of coronavirus throughout Arizona. Following Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez’s request that the non-federal cost-share portion of the FEMA-Tribal Agreement be waived, Sinema urged the Director of FEMA to waive tribal governments’ portion of costs of FEMA’s coronavirus response efforts to protect the health and safety of tribal communities.
Sinema has a resources page on her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for updated information in English and Spanish on the coronavirus.