WASHINGTON, DC—Idaho’s Rep. Mike Simpson, a Republican, asked a critical question. It’s one rarely asked, let alone, answered. The question: Does more government money work?
Specifically, Simpson, the chairman of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, was asking if recent increased funding for the Indian Health Service has made a difference.
Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, director of the IHS, went through the numbers at an oversight hearing. IHS appropriations have increased 29 percent since 2008 which, she said, is “making a substantial differen...