Officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior joined members of the Senate in a visit to Oregon to meet with Tribal leaders to discuss infrastructure concerns.
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Rachael Taylor, along with Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley, met with Tribal leaders in Warm Springs.
“Having safe and healthy communities is not only crucial to the health of our kids and families – it's also important to economic opportunity and job creation,” Newland said, in a DOI press release.
The community of Warm Springs is concerned with aging water infrastructure, which poses risks to the community.
“Today’s visit makes clear we must make investments in water storage, water delivery and water treatment infrastructure, which is why it is so important for Congress to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal,” Newland said.
President Joe Biden's infrastructure deal would allocate $250 million to improve the quality of drinking water in the community, in addition to investing $3.5 billion in the Indian Health Service Sanitation Facilities Construction program, which would help fund small sewer projects and septic tanks infrastructure programs.
"After a day of constructive meetings, the president is more confident this evening about the path forward to delivering for the American people on strong, sustained economic growth that benefits everyone," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a written statement, according to Reuters.
Government officials and Tribal leaders also discussed the need to establish a fishing agreement, in order to give the communities the rights they deserve to lands and waters that once belonged to their ancestors.
Over 30 federally-owned properties are in support of treaty fishing on the Columbia River, in order to help communities that are harmed by the presence of federal hydropower dam construction.
