ST. PAUL, Minn. (THE REFORMER) – The Trump administration has so far cancelled $296,455,163 in federal funds promised to Minnesota, with an additional $55,989,150 in funding temporarily disrupted.
Those figures come from a new Walz administration tracker of federal funding pauses and rescissions, which officials say will now be updated daily.
“By tracking these changes, we’re doing what we can to keep Minnesotans informed on what we know and what’s to come,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. “Decisions made by billionaires in Washington are cutting real programs that save Minnesotans money, monitor disease outbreaks, and keep us safe.”
The bulk of the funding cancellations, totaling roughly $230 million, affect the Minnesota Department of Health, which has been forced to lay off 170 employees in grant-funded positions. Another 20 employees who were slated to start new positions with MDH have had those offers rescinded.
The largest contributor to the MDH cuts is the cancellation of $179 million from the CDC, for “flexible funding” to respond to future infectious disease outbreaks.
The Minnesota Department of Education is losing $18 million in higher education funding, while the Department of Human Services is reporting a loss of around $27 million to help people with substance abuse and mental health problems.
Additionally, the Department of Agriculture is losing $18 million in funding for programs that purchase local food for schools and food shelves.
Nearly all of the federal funds the state lists as “temporarily disrupted” would affect the Department of Public Safety. Those funds consist of FEMA grants to help the department prevent and respond to natural disasters and terror threats.
“One in every three dollars Minnesota state government spends currently comes from the federal government,” said Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Erin Campbell. “Consistent, timely access to federal dollars is needed to continue providing the services Minnesotans depend on.”
The figures included in the state tracker do not include funding cuts to colleges, non-profits, and other non-governmental organizations. Those cuts, depending on how they’re implemented, could add tens of millions or more to the totals, including for medical research conducted by institutions like the Mayo Clinic.
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