Planned Parenthood holds rally demanding Rep. Pete Stauber save Medicaid

DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - Another rally was held in the Northland aimed at sending a message to Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District Representative Pete Stauber.

The event was organized by Planned Parenthood and started at their building before heading to Stauber’s Hermantown office to demand he protect Medicaid and Planned Parenthood health care access.

Duluthian Kat Proveaux is one of those activists who spoke at the event.

She has faced chronic fertility issues, multiple miscarriages, and survived an ectopic pregnancy, and says for her, having that access to health saved her life.

“For me, health care wasn’t a luxury, it was a lifeline. And I’m standing here today because I had access to the care I needed when I needed it most,” said Proveaux.

She joined Planned Parenthood leaders and Duluth DFL Senator Jen McEwen for a drop-off event.

“It’s hard to describe the politics of cruelty we are seeing right now coming from Washington to take away such basic human rights,” said McEwen.

That criticism comes after Stauber voted in support of a budget bill that experts say could cut Medicaid by $880 million.

“Under the trump administration, we’ve seen a repeated attempt to gut funding for critical programs like Medicaid and Title X,” said Proveaux.

The rural population already struggles to receive basic health care.

According to the congressional district health dashboard, a quarter of Stauber’s 8th district constituents rely on Medicaid.

The group says that’s about 151,000 people.

“To demonstrate just how many people 151,000 is, we will be dropping off 151,000 pink beads at Staubers’ Hermantown office,” said Planned Parenthood Senior Organizer Liza Long. “To represent the constituents in his own district who will be affected by the cuts to Medicaid.”

The office wasn’t open to the public, as there was a sign on the door saying “meeting by appointment only.”

“We are currently living in a world, in a timeline, where we have to beg our representatives for basic access to healthcare,” said Long. “We have to beg for access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI treatment, and testing.”

Senator McEwen echoed the concern, saying Stauber’s phone town halls aren’t enough.

“People who I’ve spoken to that have attended these town halls, sometimes they can be convenient, but they are not perfect,” said McEwen. “He can do both, and he should be doing both. He needs to come in person and face his constituents.”

Northern News Now reached out to Stauber for a reaction to the rally, but have not heard back.

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