US Rep. Kelly Morrison Takes Minnesota Republicans’ Warning Against Medicaid Cuts to Floor of U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) took Minnesota Republican lawmakers' warning against the devastating impact of Medicaid cuts to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. In a speech to her colleagues, Rep. Morrison read the letter that more than a dozen Republican state legislators sent to President Trump and Minnesota Republican members of Congress highlighting the dangerous threat that their budget poses to Medicaid, the state budget, and Minnesotans.

The Republican federal budget proposes at least $880 billion in cuts that will gut Medicaid in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and huge corporations. 80 million Americans get their health care coverage through Medicaid. 1.4 million Minnesotans - including children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities - get health care coverage through Medicaid.

During her floor speech today, Rep. Morrison asked her Republican colleagues in Congress to heed the warning of their state counterparts - and their constituents - and not sell out the health of millions of Americans to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

The Senate passed the Republican budget last week, and the House is expected to vote on the budget this Wednesday.

Watch the full video of Rep. Morrison's remarks HERE.

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Full transcript of Rep. Morrison's remarks BELOW.

Mr. Speaker,

Today I rise with a letter.

This is a letter from Republican - Republican - state legislators from my home state of Minnesota - addressed to President Trump and Republicans in Congress.

Please listen carefully.

Dear Mr. President, Congressman Emmer, Congressman Finstad, Congresswoman Fischbach, Congressman Stauber, and Ms. Carlton,

Minnesota has been a leader in providing access to care and containing costs and now stands vulnerable to unworkable funding reductions with some of what is being proposed in the federal budget.

A move to a per capita cap or block grant program will be workable if the reduction is modest, manageable and accompanied by extreme flexibility. Too deep of a cut is unmanageable in any instance.

Innovation is occurring in Minnesota within the current financing and waiver structure. We are moving people with disabilities into greater independence.

Massive Medicaid reductions could punish Minnesota for being such a strong leader in greater efficiencies and better outcomes.

It would devastate already lean areas of service we have been working to make more efficient for many years.

As Republican leaders in Minnesota, we have been partners for designing a state Health and Human Services (HHS) system that meets the needs of our great state.

Just to emphasize what you already know, Medicaid includes services and care for the seniors and those with disabilities, not just health care for the poor. Additionally, nearly 50% of all Medicaid enrollees are children.

Given some of the large numbers coming out of Washington, we are concerned that there is no practical way to accommodate some of the proposed massive reductions and still provide the kind of care these vulnerable people require.

Drastic reductions to Medicaid funding have the potential to impact the 1.4 million people we serve and place incredible pressure on our overall state budget.

There are no other sources to make up the lost federal share beyond severely impacting the seniors and those with disabilities who we serve.
This is contrary to how we Republicans respect the aged and the vulnerable.

Deep reductions beyond what we can absorb will also put a major strain on the state's ability to support our county-based infrastructure. In our county-based service model, via the property tax, counties already pay very significant shares of human services costs, including child protection, waiver management, chemical dependency, mental health, and state facility stays, and have little capacity to absorb any significant additional cost.
The only choices available are being forced to raise local property taxes drastically or close services.

Finally, healthcare is a major employer in rural Minnesota. Reductions in already-too-low reimbursement rates would not only limit access but would also reduce pay and services, hugely impacting rural economies and the rapidly growing aging population in Greater Minnesota.

Please remind our good leaders in Washington that simply cutting the budget is not going to take away our responsibilities to the aged, those with disabilities and mental health needs, children, and the poor.

You can make a difference in this debate.

Please, please do.

Respectfully,

Signed by more than a dozen Republican state legislators.

This … from Republican legislators … to the Republican President and the Republican majority in Congress.

Their plea - is clear.

The threat - is real.

The facts - are undeniable.

Republicans in state legislatures do not want to gut Medicaid.

Minnesotans do not want to gut Medicaid.

Americans do not want to gut Medicaid.

So why in the world are the Congressional Republicans teeing up these massive cuts to Medicaid in their budget?

Because they are singularly focused on giving massive tax breaks to their wealthy donors, to billionaires like Elon Musk, and to massive corporations.

They are willing to do that by selling out health care coverage for 80 million Americans.

That's it.

It's really that simple.

But to my Republican colleagues: you cannot hide from your own party raising the alarm not do this.

You cannot hide from the fact that you are choosing to rip health care away from millions of Americans.

You cannot hide from the fact that you are choosing to decimate state budgets in order to serve your donors and the billionaire elites.

You cannot hide from the fact that your state counterparts and surely your constituents - do not want you to do this.

So as we consider the budget this week - we need Republicans in the House of Representatives to finally stand with Democrats against this disastrous budget.

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