Rep. Craig, Minnesota Democrats Push Back Against Administration’s Cuts to State Public Health Programs

EAGAN, MN – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig led Democratic members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation in pushing back against the Administration’s recent cuts to Minnesota’s state public health programs.

In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Members expressed their concerns with the Administration's decision to suddenly cancel millions of dollars in Congressionally approved grants for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).

These grants support statewide efforts to curb infectious diseases, like measles and bird flu, and provide critical resources to address the substance use and mental health crises.

The letter was co-signed by Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Reps. Betty McCollum (MN-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Kelly Morrison (MN-03).

“In total, approximately $226 million in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants and $27.5 million in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants were clawed back from our state, jeopardizing hundreds of projects that stand to improve the health of Minnesotans and all Americans,” the Members wrote.

“All in all, these grant recissions to Minnesota represent part of the single largest cut by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to a domestic program anywhere in the government to date,” the Members continued. “There is a human cost to these abrupt recissions – they do not amount to cutting costs, but to cutting corners with peoples’ health and livelihoods, and which will ultimately cost our country more as the population gets sicker and requires more expensive care.”

The Members concluded, “We urge you to reverse these clawbacks and to work with state partners, like MDH and Minnesota DHS, to determine what is needed to protect the health of Minnesotans and all Americans.”

You can read the full text of the letter here.

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