HERE AT NAABIK’IYATI COMMITTEE WHERE DEBATE CONTINUES ON LEGISLATION 0082-140082-14, FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NEW GALLUP INDIAN MEDICAL CENTER.
DELEGATE JONATHAN HALE
Look at timeline of how Congress funds hospital and so don’t see Gallup Medical Center in couple of years. Health, Education and Human Services Committee directed Gallup Hospital Steering Committee to find out if Menapace Family of Gallup wud donate land instead of being paid $1 million to have new hospital build on their land.
DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE
my amendment is to have hospital built on Indian land. there is difference between in-patient and out-patient. Gallup is #1 as far as in-patient.
AMENDMENT: LINE 20-, AFTER “LISTING” ADD NEW SENTENCE, “AND THAT THE FACILITY BE BUILT ON INDIAN LAND NEAR THE CITY OF GALLUP.”
MODITY: PLACE A PERIOD AFTER HEHSC AMENDMENT “…PRIORITY LISTING”. AND INSERT AS RUSSELL BEGAYE’S AMENDMENT AS A NEW SENTENCE THEREAFTER.
DELEGATE ELMER BEGAY
the community i represent recently approved resolution for $2 million from Prez Obama’s budget. i’d still like for some sort of guarantee that 0082-14 will not impact the priority listing of other health facilities. so ask to TABLE until receive all priority listings. SECOND BY DELEGATE ROSCOE SMITH
SPEAKER PRO TEMP BATES
Naabi is final authority so allow Delegate Edmund Yazzie to respond to Tabling motion.
DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
if table this will set back for years. Delegate Elmer Begay concern that impact priority listing and when at Health, Education and Human Services Committee, Dilkon #1 for out-pagient and Gallup #1 for out-patient so two totally different priority listings. this 0082-14 wud only allow us to advocate for new hospital. I hope you understand that, Delegate Elmer Begay.
VOTE ON TABLING
5 in favor, 9 opposed
TABLING FAILS
DELEGATE LEONARD PETE
I hope we don’t construct where there is nothing, like Twin Arrows. No gas station, place to eat. If this around for years, why hasn’t this been placed on table. If Congress us for location, what will we say. I am looking at money. If put on Indian land, how do we receive as much revenue as possible cuz Gallup will still be there. But i’d like to see on Indian land.
DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
I want to say why support amendment – to discuss and also the amount of the construction is substantial investment of federal dollars. other thing that Health, Education and Human Services Committee discussed was Menapace site. If Indian Health Services proceeds, does that mean that IHS purchase private property. IHS said that wud be complicated and Congress wud have to make special appropriation to buy Menapace land/private property. To me this is all the more reason to consider alternative site. if we talk to IHS, they wud tell us they did feasibility study and based on their findings they said Gallup best site.
but at same time, IHS Navajo Area Director John Hubbard told HEHS committee, if council wants IHS to do re-assessment for different sites then that wud be possible but Navajo wud have to provide funding. So this amendment will direct IHS to re-do assessment with IHS dollars. It’s really up to us to tell IHS to redo. This is worthy effort otherwise Congress figure out how to buy Menapace land and I have trouble with that.
DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE
We have opportunity to build on Indian Land and small businesses will grow up around this new hospital. so question is do you want on or off reservation.
VOTE ON AMENDMENT 1:
13 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED
ONE OPPOSED IS DELEGATE ROSCOE SMITH
