WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the former chair and longest serving member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released a one-pager detailing harms facing tribal communities due to the government shutdown.
The one-pager provides data about three programs vital for tribal communities and their members that are being impacted by the shutdown:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): In the most recent federal fiscal year, 51,194 SNAP clients were American Indian or Alaska Native, and 14,844 were affiliated with a tribe in Washington state. More data is available in the one-pager. As of today, SNAP is only being funded at 50% of the usual amount during the shutdown.
- Washington State Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program: In August 2025, 2,166 participants were served at the 25 tribal WIC clinics across WA. The one-pager details the participation numbers at each clinic. As of last week, WIC is being partially funded during the shutdown, but it’s unknown for how long.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Tribes received $2.69 million from this program in FY 2025. The one-pager lists the amount by tribe. States stopped receiving new LIHEAP funding allocations in October.
Sen. Cantwell has worked to promote economic growth in Indian Country and promote the sovereignty of tribal nations. She has led Senate efforts to give tribal governments greater flexibility to lease land, create new business opportunities on reservations, and grow regional economies.
The one-pager can be found at the links above and HERE.
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