(Editor’s note: This letter to editor was sent to the Newsleaders and was signed by 12 members of Concerned Citizens for Congressional District 7. Besides Dan Florey, the other signatories are Sharon Ostlie, Audrey Arner, Ellen Moore, Teresa Patton, Misty Butler, Sara Soden, Robin Moore, Scott Soden, Rachel Kepler,
Amy Bacigalupo and Sandy Fiecke.)
Dan Florey
Montevideo
U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Regal) has failed the people of Minnesota’s 7th District. Her support for the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) prioritizes party politics over the needs of rural communities.
Medicaid is a lifeline in rural America, covering 1 in 4 residents, half of all births and nearly two-thirds of nursing-home care. Yet the BBB would slash Medicaid by $1 trillion, pushing 11.8 million Americans off coverage. In Minnesota, more than 36,000 would lose access to care and rural hospitals would lose $1.065 billion in funding.
These cuts would devastate already struggling hospitals. Nearly half of rural hospitals nationwide operate at a loss. In Minnesota, 24 percent are in the red, and 10 have closed inpatient services in the past decade. When a 300-employee hospital closes, the local economy loses $60 million annually, not just in healthcare but in jobs and community stability.
Some point to $50 billion in rural hospital funding added in the Senate, but that doesn’t begin to offset the harm. It’s a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.
BBB also guts SNAP, which helps not only low-income families but also supports farmers and rural grocery stores by sustaining local food economies.
Rep. Fischbach’s support of BBB makes clear where her loyalties lie – and it’s not with us. District 7 deserves a representative who fights for rural Minnesota, not just party leadership.