U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
STATE News:
NAMBE — U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) delivered a report to the Navajo Nation Council on the continued efforts by the House of Representatives to address the COVID-19 pandemic and bring further relief to Tribal communities.
While Assistant Speaker Luján works with the Navajo Nation Council often, this meeting was the first time he addressed the full Council.
“I was deeply honored to address Speaker Damon and the Navajo Nation Council. The Navajo Nation has been hard hit by COVID-19, and inaction and incompetence on the part of the Trump administration have exacerbated the suffering of its families and slowed relief and recovery efforts,” Luján said. “I will take the concerns and recommendations of Council members with me to Washington and continue fighting to ensure that all Tribal communities have the resources and flexibility they need to weather this unprecedented public health emergency.”
Listen to the full meeting here.
BACKGROUND:
More than 9,000 individuals living in the Navajo Nation have been infected with COVID-19, and more than 400 lost their lives. Luján has called out the Trump administration for failing to share crucial health data with Tribal health authorities and awarding a $3 million contract to a former Trump White House official who delivered substandard personal protective equipment to the Indian Health Service.
