{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-urges-house-leadership-reauthorize-indian-health-care-improvement", "Cole Urges House Leadership to Maintain the Indian Health Care Improvement Act", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Tom Cole", "C001053", "cole.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after he sent a letter to Chairman Fred Upton, Chairman Kevin Brady and Speaker Paul Ryan, urging them to retain the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) in any contemplated Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) repeal. These provisions are the bedrock legal authorities for health care services for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.\n\u00a0\n\u201cEver since President-Elect Donald Trump was elected President, tens of millions of Americans have celebrated his promise to repeal and replace Obamacare,\u201d said Cole. \u201cWe now know that this is a priority. Having affordable and quality health care is critically important to American families, and Republicans have a plan that will do just that.\u201d\n\u00a0\n\u201cThere are a few provisions within the Affordable Care Act that we all agree should remain, and lift them into our new plan. One such provision is the Indian Health Care Improvement Act,\u201d continued Cole. \u201cThis legislation was included in PPACA purely as \u201cvote bait\u201d to secure Democratic votes and has nothing to do with PPACA. It is vital and ensures that Native Americans have quality health care available to them and their families. There is no controversy here \u2013 it sets the national policy for many programs and services provided by the Indian Health Service. I urge my colleagues to maintain this important program throughout the repeal process, and understand the tremendous benefit it has for the Native American communities across the country.\u201d\n\u00a0\nTo view the letter as a PDF, please click here.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cole-urges-house-leadership-reauthorize-indian-health-care-improvement"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5781102702021599, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}