So where does the $32.6 billion go?
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), here's the shocking truth:
• Red tape and paperwork - Complex applications that take 60+ days to complete
• Cost-sharing requirements - Tribes must provide hundreds of thousands in matching funds
• Administrative burden - Quarterly reporting requirements that consume staff time
• Communication failures - Tribes don't even know about available funding
For example, between 2017-2021, USDA invested $6.6 billion in rural development.
Only $138 million went to tribal communities.
That's barely 2% reaching the people it was supposed to help.
Meanwhile, Native American reservations still have:
• The highest poverty rate in America (25.4%)
• The lowest life expectancy of any ethnic group
• 40% of homes lack basic plumbing or electricity
• Suicide rates 2.5x higher than national average
With $32.6 billion in "help."