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3/3/2023

Readout: Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo Visits Tribal Nations to see Impact of American Rescue Plan …

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Readout: Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo Visits
Tribal Nations to see Impact of American Rescue Plan Funding
and Economic Development Support
March 2, 2023

THERMAL, CA – Today, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo visited two Tribal
nations in southern California: the Agua Caliente Tribe, and the Torres Martinez Tribe. The visit
was the Deputy Secretaryʼs first to Tribal lands. Last year, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L.
Yellen visited the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, marking the first time a Treasury
Secretary had visited a Tribal Nation.
During todayʼs visits, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo witnessed first-hand the impact American
Rescue Plan Act (ARP) resources are having on Tribal Nations and discussed Treasuryʼs
ongoing commitment to strengthening relations with Tribes. The American Rescue Plan,
signed into law nearly two years ago, included $30 billion in funding for Tribal nations to help
them recover from the pandemic and invest in long-term community development, the
largest-ever single infusion of federal funding into Indian Country. The Treasury Department
has played a pivotal role in administering these resources. Tribal governments have planned or
begun implementing over 3,000 projects and are providing essential services with the funding,
improving the health, safety, and quality of life for millions of Tribal citizens. The Torres
Martinez Tribe has invested approximately $1.3 million in job training programs; budgeted over
$1 million to provide broadband access across all areas of the reservation; and partnered with
the All Mission Indian Housing Authority to administer ARPʼs Housing Assistance Fund (HAF)
and Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs, the latter of which has helped over 900
Tribal households.
Over the past two years, the Treasury Department has prioritized strengthening relationships
with Tribal Nations. Last year, in addition to Secretary Yellenʼs visit to the Rosebud Indian
Reservation, Lynn Malerba, Lifetime Chief of the Mohegan Tribe, became the first Native
American Treasurer of the U.S., and Treasury established the first O ice of Tribal and Native
A airs, which Chief Malerba oversees. Earlier this week, the O ice, which is charged with
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3/3/2023

Readout: Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo Visits Tribal Nations to see Impact of American Rescue Plan …

coordinating Tribal relations throughout the Department, announced its first Director.
The O ice is also responsible for overseeing the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee, which
advances the policy priorities of Tribal communities by engaging with various Treasury
departments on policy, guidance, and regulations. Treasury has also worked to increase direct
engagement with Tribal leaders and has hosted over 40 formal consultations and over 300
information and training sessions with Tribes to support economic development. Treasury is
also consulting with Tribes on the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, which
includes Tribal-specific funding to address climate-related impacts in Native communities.
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