On Wednesday Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that $19 million he requested for tribal health programs in California to purchase power generators was included in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies’ Fiscal Year 2022 spending legislation.

That funding would allow tribal health programs to buy power generators needed to boost resilience during power outages.

Thompson wrote to the subcommittee in April 2021 asking it to include this funding in the legislation.

“Our district and our state have been hit hard by extreme weather and natural disasters in recent years, sometimes causing power outages that can have dire consequences, especially for tribal regions,” said Thompson. “When the Tribal Health Programs lose power, entire communities can lose access to health care, including lifesaving medications and vaccines. That’s why I asked the Interior Subcommittee to include funding for generators and I’m glad to see $19 million included to purchases these important devices that will save lives. I’ll work to ensure this funding is included in the final bill signed into law to help our tribal communities.”

Tribal health programs in the Fifth Congressional District that stand to benefit if this funding is included in the final bill include the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, which has a Lakeport and Middletown site as well as an obstetrics and pediatrics clinic, and the Sonoma County Indian Health Project’s Santa Rosa Health Center Site.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.