Rosendale Voted Against Strengthening Montana’s Community Health Centers

Helena – Wealthy real estate developer Matt Rosendale has proven over and over he doesn’t care about Montanans’ access to health care.

Despite the fact that Montana’s community health centers (CHCs) provide vital health care services to more than 100,000 residents, particularly those in underserved and rural communities, Maryland Matt voted against a bipartisan bill to expand Medicaid in Montana that meant additional resources for CHCs and allowed them to improve access to and quality of care. The bill became law without Rosendale’s approval and helps fund rural hospitals providing health care access to tens of thousands of people across the state, and has been an “absolutely critical” part of providing aid to veterans and other Montanans fighting drug addiction.

The community health centers Rosendale opposed funding also help drive our economy, contributing over $52 million annually to Montana’s local economies.

Unfortunately, Rosendale isn’t alone in his extreme beliefs that threaten our state’s health care – Russell Fagg also has a history of making the wrong choices for Montanans’ health care. In the state legislature, Fagg voted against passing legislation that would have expanded Medicaid eligibility for infants and pregnant women.

Californian Troy Downing is no better; he said he would repeal the current health care plan even though it created the Community Health Center Fund, which provides 70% of federal grants for CHCs nationwide and accounted for 34% of Montana’s community health centers’ total revenues in 2016.

“As Jon Tester fights to secure crucial long-term funding for Montana’s community health centers, Rosendale, Downing, and Fagg have shown their true colors by opposing legislation that would make health care more accessible and affordable to Montanans,” said Brooke Bainum, spokesperson for the Montana Democratic Party. “They have shown a special kind of ignorance in disregarding the importance of community health centers that provide so many Montanans with vital health care services. These are dangerous beliefs that only hurt Montana.”

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