Indian Island, ME – On July 23, 2024, U.S. Treasurer Chief Lynn Malerba and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Chief Counsel Margie Rollinson visited the Penobscot Nation in Maine to meet with Tribal leadership and discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in Indian Country. This visit marks the first time an IRS Chief Counsel has visited Tribal lands.
During their visit, the Penobscot Nation Tribal Council provided U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) leadership with information about the Nation’s history, economic development efforts and challenges, discussed Tribal tax matters, and showcased how the Tribe is using funding administered by the Treasury to support economic recovery. Treasurer Chief Malerba and Chief Counsel Rollinson then toured infrastructure and clean energy projects funded by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Tribe’s ancestral territory along the Penobscot River.
Under Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen’s leadership, the Department has significantly increased its engagement with Indian Country to strengthen relationships with Tribes and better understand and respond to the needs of Tribal governments. This engagement includes visits to Indian Country by senior Treasury officials, including the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, General Counsel, and the Treasurer. The Department has facilitated key investments under the Biden-Harris Administration in Tribal communities, including deploying $30 billion to support Tribes through various federal programs, including $20 billion through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF).
