Is it in Minneapolis or St. Paul? Congress studies wrong city for RNC disaster preparedness

A congressional committee studying hospital resources in the event of a terrorist attack on the Republican National Convention missed an important detail: the convention is in St. Paul, not Minneapolis.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee found that Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center did not have sufficient capacity to handle a terrorist attack. The committee completely overlooked St. Paul’s Regions Hospital, which would be the first responder in the unlikely event of a terrorist attack on the RNC.

The report looked at five cities at high risk for attacks — Washington, D.C.; New York City; Los Angeles; Chicago; and Houston — and then the two cities hosting the conventions this fall, Denver and Minneapolis. Except, St. Paul is hosting the actual convention. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat representing St. Paul who also serves on the committee, attempted to set the record straight, according to the Associated Press. 

“In the event of an emergency at the Republican National Convention, Regions Hospital in St. Paul, an excellent facility, will be the primary responder, with the [Minneapolis] hospital examined in the report providing support,” she said.

“I live in Minnesota, and I need to set the record straight,” she told the committee members.