One of Michele Bachmann’s constant themes is to discredit Medicaid as the source for swelling the “welfare rolls.” She has denounced the Medicaid program on several occasions. Since 2005, the mental health clinic, run by her husband, Marcus Bachman has received $137,000 in Medicaid payments. Furthermore, the clinic operated by Bachman and Associates received an additional $24,000 in state and federal monies to train their employees. To date, the clinic has received $161,000 in state and federal monies.
When asked about the use of the funds by Chris Wallace of Fox news, Bachman responded, that it was “one-time training money that came from the federal government. And it certainly didn’t help our clinic.” She further indicated, “My husband and I did not get the money,” noting that it was “mental health training money that went to the employees.”
However, the communications manager for the Minnesota Human Services Department, Patrice Vick, was puzzled by Bachman’s comments that the funds received under state grant went to the employees. Vick stated that the funds did not go directly to the employees although the monies were to be utilized for employee training, but instead “It went to the clinic.” Vick further noted, the contract was with the clinic and not the employees and has no record as to whether or not the clinic passed it on to the employees.
Bachman has been a steadfast critic of federal spending programs including the health care program which calls for enhancements to the Medicaid program. She has preached repeatedly that cutbacks are a necessity for these types of programs in order to balance the budget. But yet, she is one of the first to extend her hand to receive funds from the very program she is attempting to eliminate or reduce.
Earlier this year when When Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill extending the Medicaid program to 95,000 state residents, Bachman rose up to denounce the move with her republican colleagues. Hypocrisy? Of the first class.