 On Tuesday, Governor Walz and U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison joined state officials, doctors, and advocates to discuss the impact of proposed federal cuts to vital health care programs. It was the sixth in a series of statewide roundtables being held to discuss the potential federal cuts.
Changes proposed in the U.S. Congress to Medicaid and health care funding could result in $880 billion in cuts to health care programing benefiting 1.3 million Minnesotans. State estimates show that Minnesota could lose as much as $1.6 billion annually in federal support for health care programs serving a wide swath of Minnesotans, including children, those who are pregnant, seniors, and people with disabilities.
“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.”
 On Wednesday, Governor Walz visited Dilworth’s new fire station, funded by the infrastructure bill the Governor signed into law in 2023. Governor Walz discussed the need to pass a bonding bill this session to support infrastructure projects that will create jobs and improve safety across the state.
“The Dilworth fire station is a critical public safety project that demonstrates the power and importance of funding infrastructure projects. Four years ago, I visited Dilworth to see for myself how the old fire station was putting safety for both our firefighters and the many communities served by them at risk. In 2023 we got the money to make it happen, and today we celebrate a brand new station,” said Governor Walz. “I am grateful to city leadership for their advocacy and look forward to continued work to pass another bonding bill this session and deliver necessary funding for projects like this one.”
 On Monday, Governor Walz and Mayo Clinic leadership discussed the progress being made on Mayo Clinic’s $5 billion expansion in downtown Rochester. The expansion includes 2.4 million square feet of new construction, adding state-of-the-art spaces and digital technologies to transform health care and bolster economic growth in Rochester. The $5 billion investment is expected to generate nearly 1,500 construction jobs at the height of construction.
“Minnesota is a top state for health care, thanks in part to Mayo Clinic. Now they’re building a $5 billion expansion in Rochester where the lifesaving health care innovations of the future are going to happen,” said Governor Walz. “We’re ushering in the next generation of health care innovation - and creating union construction jobs along the way.”
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