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Citizen urges Beltrami County to condemn federal budget bill, warns of local Medicaid and SNAP cuts
Summary
A county resident warned the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners that the Federal Budget Reconciliation Act (referred to as HR 1) will harm local Medicaid and SNAP services and urged the board to adopt a formal resolution condemning the law and supporting accountability for sponsoring federal officials.
Randall Berg, a longtime Beltrami County resident, told the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners that the Federal Budget Reconciliation Act (referred to in his remarks as “HR 1”) will increase food insecurity and reduce access to medical care for county residents and place “administrative and financial burdens” on county government.
Berg, who identified himself as having worked for more than 20 years as an assistant Beltrami County attorney, said the Minnesota Department of Health’s summary of the federal changes described the cuts as, in his words, “an historic disinvestment in Minnesotans health, well-being, and infrastructure, increasing costs, reducing coverage, and destabilizing critical services.” He said detailed statistics were provided earlier to the board by the Beltrami County Department of Human Services and in materials he submitted to the clerk.
“The time is coming, if it is not already here, for the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners to condemn by formal resolution not only HR 1 but also elect all elected federal officials who purport to represent Beltrami County citizens who sponsored, supported, or endorsed its enactment,” Berg said. He recommended the board consult “Mister Hansen’s office for an opinion on the particular language to be employed” to avoid possible legal issues, citing the Hatch Act as a legal concern to be considered.
Berg framed his suggestion as a no-cost, symbolic action the board could take now or later as the effects of the federal legislation become clearer: “As a result of HR 1, more people in Beltrami County will experience food insecurity, more people will go without essential medical care, and the administrative and financial burdens on Beltrami County will increase,” he said.
The board did not take any formal action on Berg’s recommendation during the meeting. Berg acknowledged that the precise local impact will depend in part on how the State of Minnesota responds to federal changes and on legislative actions in Saint Paul.
Berg concluded by thanking the board for listening and noting that local decisions the board may have to make in coming months will be driven by federal policy changes.
