Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.6 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Expanded Tribal Healthcare Services and Promote Disaster Preparedness in Oklahoma

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $3.6 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to help the state of Oklahoma prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

“President Biden is committed to supporting communities as they recover and rebuild from the pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “These EDA investments will expand healthcare services on the Pawnee Indian Reservation and build a new conference and emergency operations center in Durant that will provide communities in southeast Oklahoma with vital economic development planning and disaster preparedness services.”

“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in helping communities across the nation implement strategies to mitigate economic hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “We are pleased to assist the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and the Southern Oklahoma Development Association in advancing their healthcare and disaster resiliency priorities.”

“I was pleased to learn that CARES Act funding we passed last year will be awarded to the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and the Southern Oklahoma Development Association,” said Senator Jim Inhofe. “Oklahomans have been working hard to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and this funding will go a long way to help. These funds will be matched with local money to create a new healthcare facility in Pawnee and expand services at the SODA Conference and Emergency Operations Center, helping folks for years to come.”

“The Economic Development Administration’s $3 million grant awarded to the Pawnee Nation is great news,” said Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03). “Native American communities often face significant inequities in health care. The EDA grant awarded to the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma will increase access to quality health care services and facilities, ensuring that we continue to eliminate health disparities found throughout our Native American communities. By investing in the health of our communities, we can ensure prosperity and opportunity for all.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee, Oklahoma, will receive a $3 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to construct a healthcare facility for inpatient and outpatient adult and geriatric and behavioral health treatment on the Pawnee Indian Reservation. The project, to be matched with $9.2 million in local funds, is expected to create 64 jobs.
• Southern Oklahoma Development Association (SODA), Durant, Oklahoma, will receive a $645,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to support construction of the SODA Conference and Emergency Operations Center to expand services to communities in economic development planning and disaster preparedness. The project will be matched with $165,000 in local funds.

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.