1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to stop the Trump administration's suspension of Medicaid payments to Minnesota and prevent similar actions against other states. On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz announced they would withhold a $259 million Medicaid reimbursement to Minnesota this month, with the potential for a billion dollars in deferred payments this year if the state does not comply with their demands within 60 days. This action sets a dangerous precedent for federal overreach and weaponizes essential healthcare funding for political purposes. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz correctly identified that these cuts will devastate veterans, families with young children, people with disabilities, and working people across the state. Medicaid providers and beneficiaries should not be held hostage while the federal government and state negotiate over fraud investigations that are already being handled through proper legal channels. The Justice Department has already charged 98 people in Minnesota with fraud totaling $1 billion. The legal system is working as designed. However, during his State of the Union address, President Trump made unsubstantiated claims attributing $19 billion in fraud to Minnesota and specifically targeted the Somali community without evidence. This rhetoric, combined with the funding suspension, suggests the action is motivated by politics rather than genuine concern about fraud prevention. Congress appropriated these Medicaid funds to ensure healthcare access for vulnerable populations. The administration's claim that it has inherent authority to withhold congressionally appropriated funds undermines the constitutional separation of powers and threatens the healthcare safety net that millions of Americans depend on. Vance's statement that "we're the ones who spend this money" disregards Congress's power of the purse. I urge you to publicly oppose this funding suspension, demand that the administration immediately release the withheld Medicaid payments to Minnesota, and work with colleagues to pass legislation that prevents the executive branch from unilaterally withholding appropriated healthcare funds from states. Healthcare access should never be used as a political weapon.