NEWS RELEASE

July 17, 2024

WINDOW ROCK -- Jonathan Paton, a Republican candidate for Congressional District 1, told the Navajo Nation Council on Monday that he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which contains the permanent reauthorization of Indian Health Service funding.

Paton told the Council: "I don’t support the Affordable Healthcare Act, I don’t support Obamacare. And I have already made statements before that I support repealing and replacing it." Click here for the audio.

In Congress, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick fought to make sure the permanent reauthorization of IHS funding was included in the Affordable Care Act (aka health-care reform). The permanent reauthorization of IHS funding expands and modernizes the 57-year-old Indian Health Service, providing comprehensive health services for Native Americans. It enacts long-awaited improvements to the system, enhances care and better addresses the unique needs of residents on tribal lands.

In response to Paton’s remarks, Kirkpatrick stated, “I will fight to preserve IHS funding, which provides critical health services to members of the Navajo Nation," she said. "Paton clearly does not understand that Indian Health Services are based on the principles of a government-to-government relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes."

"Jonathan Paton’s Tea Party proposals are dangerous for the tribes in my district.” 

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