DFL warns human-services budget cuts would pit vulnerable groups against each other; MinnesotaCare access for undocumented immigrants cited as separate dispute

DFL lawmakers urged colleagues not to pit vulnerable Minnesotans against one another as budget negotiations continued, saying Republican proposals would shift cuts onto people with disabilities and seniors.

One DFL representative said the House GOP was asking nursing homes and industry leaders to weigh in before moving forward with certain aspects of the human-services budget and that the proposed changes would force false choices among care recipients. “We are asking people with disabilities to bear the brunt of all of the cuts in human services because nursing homes are more powerful than people in the state of Minnesota,” the representative said.

DFL leaders also criticized a GOP demand to change MinnesotaCare eligibility for undocumented immigrants. They described that demand as unrelated to immediate budget votes and said it does not reduce costs as Republicans assert. “The GOP demand for this is not about the budget… It does not save money,” a DFL speaker said, arguing that preventative care reduces uncompensated emergency care and can be fiscally responsible for hospitals and taxpayers.

Speakers warned that rural hospitals face threats from uncompensated care and said providing preventative services can reduce long-term costs. They urged the House to pass human-services budgets that protect workers and people who depend on services rather than expose them to cuts tied to outside priorities.