Congress Blocks Nearly $1 Billion in Proposed Tribal Funding Cuts in FY26 Package

By Brian Edwards

Tribal Business News

Congress released bill text Monday for a bipartisan, bicameral package of three fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills that would reject nearly $1 billion in proposed cuts to tribal programs sought by the Trump administration, according to congressional negotiators. The package would preserve funding for health care, public safety, education, infrastructure and treaty obligations across Indian Country.

The three-bill package combines the Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bills — a so-called “minibus” funding package covering most federal programs that fund tribal governments, tribal enterprises and treaty-based obligations. The agreement reflects negotiations between House and Senate appropriators from both parties and now moves toward floor votes in both chambers, as congressional leaders work to pass full-year funding ahead of a looming government shutdown deadline.

For tribes, the agreement represents a significant reversal of the administration's budget request, which would have sharply reduced funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, tribal public safety programs and environmental initiatives. Appropriators instead largely maintained existing funding levels, rejected proposed reductions and fully funded legally required tribal payments that support the day-to-day operation of tribal governments.

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