Since the U.S. House of Representatives, with a Republican majority, passed its budget framework earlier in April, Democrats have continually shared their concern surrounding the future of federal Medicaid funding.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was joined by other Minnesota lawmakers, health care workers, and Medicaid recipients for a panel at Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington on Tuesday, April 15 to discuss those concerns.

The Governor’s office said that estimates indicate that Minnesota could lose up to $1.6 billion annually in federal funds.

“Billionaires in Washington are going after our health care, putting lives in danger by threatening major cuts to the programs that over a million Minnesotans rely on,” said Governor Walz. “Medicaid pays for life-saving medication, cancer treatment, child well-checks, and supportive care. Cuts to this funding would put hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans’ lives at risk, disproportionately impacting kids, seniors, people with disabilities, and those living in rural areas. Minnesotans deserve better and I will continue to fight every day to prevent these cuts.”

U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison (DFL – Minnesota 3rd District), was one of the lawmakers on hand for the panel who said she’s been in contact with several hospitals and clinics that said they were worried that they’d see significant cuts to care and services for individuals.

“The Republican proposal to cut Medicaid, to gut Medicaid, will not only be devastating to the 1.4 million Minnesotans who get their healthcare through Medicaid, it will be devastating to all Minnesotans and I think that’s really important to emphasize today,” said Morrison. “It will impact everyone.”

U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R -Minnesota 8th District) was not present for the panel, but sent WDIO a statement saying this framing was “dishonest”, his office providing the following statement:

Congressman Stauber finds it despicable, yet unsurprising, that Governor Walz is being dishonest about the issue at hand. To be clear, no legislation involving Medicaid has been voted on or drafted. Republicans are putting forward a budget that protects Medicaid for those who need it most by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse of the program. It is important to understand that during Biden’s administration, Democrats spent an egregious amount of taxpayer money to add millions of able-bodied, working aged people and illegal immigrants as beneficiaries of the Medicaid program. By allowing Medicaid to grow to over $600 billion per year in annual spending, Democrats have pushed this program to its tipping point, risking its sustainability for the most vulnerable.

American taxpayers do not want able-bodied adults or illegal immigrants on a program that is designed for children, single mothers, the elderly, and the disabled. As we face $37 trillion in debt, it is past time that we identify exactly where Medicaid is being abused and make reforms to protect the program for those who need it the most. The hypocrisy of Governor Walz and Democrats in the State Capitol is one to behold after having the largest fraud scandal in our nation’s history happen under their watch. The waste, fraud, and abuse under DFL control has brought our state into financial ruin, and the Governor’s solution to his spending problem is to enact a major reduction in disability waivers, which help Minnesotans access much-needed in-home services.

As of now, it is unclear what cuts Medicaid could see in the federal budget. Legislators will be voting on a federal budget in the coming months.