Andrea Zupancich’s Silence on DOGE Cuts to Forest Cleanup Funding is Deafening
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2026
Washington Post details how DOGE funding cuts derailed a Superior National Forest wildfire prevention project while Zupancich maintains support for the federal administration and campaigns on the importance of forest cleanup.
ST. PAUL, MN. — On Saturday, the Washington Post published a new account of how Trump’s DOGE cuts derailed critical resources that could have helped prevent the ongoing fires in Northern Minnesota. Forest Service workers have been ready to move forward with fire prevention work, but the federal government’s chaos prevented them from doing so.
The story raises serious questions about whether Republican candidate Andrea Zupancich (SD03) is willing to criticize decisions by the leaders of her own political party, especially when those decisions directly impact Northeastern Minnesota.
Also, after years of support for the federal administration, Andrea Zupancich launched brand new campaign ads emphasizing the importance of forest cleanup to prevent fires and keep our Northland economy strong.
Communities across Northeastern Minnesota are living through the consequences of catastrophic wildfires. When funding intended to reduce hazardous fuels is derailed, voters deserve to know whether those seeking to represent them support those decisions. Minnesotans deserve to know why Zupancich was silent when DOGE derailed the federal funding for exactly that work.
Given these findings, it’s important to ask Andrea Zupancich:
- Does she support the DOGE cuts that derailed funding for this Superior National Forest fuels reduction project?
- Does she believe delaying and ultimately losing this funding left northern Minnesota more prepared or less prepared for catastrophic wildfires?
- If forest cleanup is important enough to campaign on, why has she remained silent when funding for that work was derailed by her own party?
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