St. Paul, MN— While President Trump and Congressional Republicans look to subsidize tax cuts for the wealthy by reducing federal funding for Medicaid, today DFL legislators introduced legislation that would raise taxes on millionaires at the level necessary to offset any cuts to this crucial program. Medicaid is the largest single source of health insurance in Minnesota, serving senior citizens, children, families, and people with disabilities.
“At a time when so many Minnesotans are struggling with basic costs, it is morally reprehensible to cut life-saving Medicaid services so the richest among us can hoard more money and watch the numbers in their bank accounts grow,” said Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL - Minneapolis) House author of the bill and Co-Chair of the House Taxes Committee. “What we tax, and what we fund, shows who we are and what we value. Trump has shown that he doesn’t care about the average Minnesotan, only his elite sycophants. With this legislation the DFL is standing firmly with working-class Minnesotans in the face of extreme wealth inequality.”
A report from Congress’s Joint Economic Committee found that if Republicans in Congress pass their proposed budget and cut Medicaid, Minnesota could see 89,000 rural residents lose their health coverage, 130,000 children lose their health insurance, more than 1 in 6 seniors lose their nursing home care and, in total, nearly 400,000 people cut off from their health insurance. In total, 1 in 5 Minnesotans get their health care through Medicaid, including 41% of children. If these callous cuts go through without additional revenue raised by Minnesota, it will have a direct and immediate negative effect on health in Minnesota, costing lives and doing harm.
“I don’t know what planet we are living on where anyone would think it’s acceptable to cut healthcare for our most vulnerable citizens while applauding the hoarding of wealth and continuing tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans,” said Senator Alice Mann (DFL - Edina) Senate author of the bill. “How can we ignore the suffering of people who are starving, living on the streets, and dying from preventable diseases because they can’t afford healthcare – all in one of the richest countries in the world? If the federal government stands by and allows this, then in Minnesota, we will act to protect our people. We will not let Minnesotans fall further into poverty, see crime rise, or watch people go hungry or die because they can't afford their medications, while the resources needed to prevent this suffering are funneled to the wealthiest billionaires in the country.”
Video of the press announcement can be found on the House Public Information’s Youtube Channel.