SAINT PAUL, MN—On Friday the Minnesota House passed the Republicans’ Omnibus Health and Human Services bill. The bill cuts $600 million from health and human services to accommodate more than a billion dollars in tax cuts, most of which go to the rich and well connected, and big businesses.
Rep. Tina Liebling (Rochester), the DFL-Health Policy Lead, released the following statement:
“Instead of making sure that Minnesotans have access to the health care they need, this bill would throw our current system into chaos. It cuts funding that counties need to decide who is eligible for public programs, crippling that system. It repeals our insurance exchange, MNsure, and puts Minnesotans at the mercy of the Federal insurance exchange—which may soon be repealed. It pays for new spending with made-up savings that will never materialize, then cuts payments to health care providers to save money when those schemes fail.
“The bill is full of shifts, tricks, and gimmicks. All Minnesotans need and deserve access to quality health care that they can afford, but this bill goes the wrong way. Republicans legislators are handing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to insurance companies, and to the ultra-wealthy and large corporations through tax cuts. I’m committed to making sure Minnesotans have an opportunity to get ahead, and that includes quality healthcare without going bankrupt.”
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