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Mark Cruz to Lead Indian Health Service Amid Staffing and Infrastructure Challenges

On Friday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to lead the Indian Health Service in a 51-47 vote for a four-year term.
Prior to his confirmation, Cruz worked as a senior advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., focusing on tribal matters while retaining the newly created role alongside his IHS leadership.
The IHS oversees healthcare for 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives across 575 federally recognized tribes, yet faces a 30-year backlog of facilities and a nonprofit-estimated $73 billion funding gap to meet healthcare needs.
During his June confirmation hearing, Cruz pledged to advocate "ferociously" for tribal interests, stating "tribal consultation is a process, not an event" and promising to engage transparently with tribal leaders and Congress.
The National Congress of American Indians called the confirmation "critical" and executive director Larry Wright Jr. stated the organization looks forward to working with Cruz to uphold federal treaty obligations.

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