*For all press release inquiries, please reach out to Theresa Meyer (Theresa.Meyer@mail.house.gov)

Minnesota - Representatives Tom Emmer (MN-06), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), and Pete Stauber (MN-08) issued the following statement ahead of Governor Walz’s pending announcement on the status of Minnesota’s current stay-at-home order:

"During today’s weekly Congressional delegation conference call - and as his Administration reviews the health and economic data prior to tomorrow’s anticipated announcement - we urged Governor Walz to allow the current stay-at-home order to expire in full on Monday, May 18, 2020.

No one could have accurately predicted or fully prepared for this natural disaster. Everyone is operating in uncharted waters. We fully understand the gravity of the decisions Governor Walz has had to make the last nine weeks.

Over the last week, you have repeatedly stated that you have allowed about 90 percent of Minnesota’s workforce and businesses to reopen. Let’s trust the final 10 percent. These last remaining businesses have patiently and dutifully remained closed yet remain essential to our communities. Every employer should be given the opportunity to safely and responsibly resume operations in some form or fashion. Allowing some to operate while others remain closed has proven to be an inequitable strategy, causing irreparable harm to thousands of small businesses around our state, leaving thousands unemployed, and uncertainty to linger.

Our health care providers must be allowed to promptly and fully resume the lifesaving work they perform on a day-to-day basis. Hospitals and health systems in every corner of our state continue to shoulder tremendous financial and personnel burdens as a result of our COVID response, potentially undermining their ability to resume a level of pre-pandemic care that Minnesotans need.

Above all, every Minnesotan must be allowed to decide for themselves what is right for their personal safety and health. We believe that Minnesotans can be trusted best to find their own way of safely reestablishing their lives and routines while taking into account the challenges this pandemic presents. 

Again, we call on the Governor to allow our current stay-at-home order to expire and use tomorrow’s announcement as an opportunity to issue guidelines and recommendations for all Minnesotans to protect themselves, their families, their neighbors and communities, their employees, their patients and their customers. With this information, Minnesotans can and will do the right thing as we start to re-emerge from this crisis. It is time to trust Minnesotans."

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