Friends and neighbors,

You have probably read or heard a fair amount of fearmongering about the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that Congress recently passed. As your state senator, I didn’t have a vote on this bill, but I support what they are doing. Let me tell you why.

The OBBB takes important steps to strengthen programs like Medicaid and SNAP so they can better serve the people who truly need them. These programs are meant to support some of our most vulnerable neighbors like children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Unfortunately, when fraud or mismanagement grows unchecked, it takes resources away from those who need them most. For example, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has identified more than $100 billion in improper payments every year! We need to fix that. The OBBB adds modest work requirements for able-bodied adults and improves eligibility checks to protect these programs for the people they are meant to serve.

These reforms are being phased in carefully and include advance notice for anyone affected. Encouraging work for those who can and removing ineligible participants, including those in the country illegally, will help preserve these programs and ensure they remain strong for the future. These are reasonable and responsible changes that reflect how most Minnesotans think these programs should work. Illegal immigrants also need to be removed from the Medicaid benefits, or Minnesota will risk losing Federal funding. We need legal immigration, just like how our forefathers came here, but illegal immigration is bad for everyone -- including the illegal immigrants themselves.

The bill also delivers meaningful tax relief to working families and seniors. It locks in lower rates, raises the standard deduction, and boosts the child tax credit. According to the White House, Minnesotans could see an increase of $8,000 to $13,800 in take-home pay each year.

Some are determined to drum up fear over the OBBB when the reality is it is commonsense. Here in Minnesota, I will continue working to move Minnesota in the same direction: reducing taxes, reining in fraud and waste, protecting our most vulnerable, and demanding accountability from government.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

God Bless,