Sens. Klobuchar, Smith Demanding Answers on Potential Bemidji IHS Closure

Minnesota’s U.S. Senators are demanding answers from the Trump administration on Bemidji’s Indian Health Service office being included on a list of leases being targeted for termination.

The Bemidji IHS office is listed on Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency website as one of the leases considered for possible termination. U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar say a closure could disrupt critical health care for Tribal Nations and Native communities, adding that the Bemidji area office is responsible for healthcare services for 34 Tribal Nations and four urban Indian health programs in five states.

The Senators have co-written a letter to General Services Administration Administrator Stephen Ehikian and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding answers. In the letter, they highlighted the devastating impact the decision could have on the health and well-being of thousands of Native Americans across the region.

The letter also underscores that IHS services are provided under the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and that any disruption in operations could jeopardize essential medical services.