The National Congress of American Indians
Resolution #PHX-16-060
TITLE: Support for Secure Funding of the Highway Trust Fund
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, on December 4, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act, authorizing rising spending levels that will benefit Indian Country for the next five (5) years; and
WHEREAS, the funding for this federal transportation legislation is heavily reliant on the Highway Trust Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Highway Trust Fund receives revenue from the federal fuel tax; and
WHEREAS, the last federal increase of the fuel tax was under President Clinton and is not tied to inflation; and
WHEREAS, the Highway Trust Fund does not have the revenues to cover the approved spending obligations.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Congress of American Indians does hereby support and recommend the Congress raise the federal fuel tax and/or secure other funding sources, thereby fully funding the Highway Trust Fund as a means of the Federal Government to meet their funding obligations to Indian Country; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2016 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Phoenix Convention Center, October 9th- 14th 2016, with a quorum present.