DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said “we all are going to die” as she addressed potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa on Friday.
She had been consistent in her message throughout the contentious forum at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, as she defended the tax and immigration package that has passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. Facing several constituents concerned about cuts to Medicaid, she defended the $700 billion in reduced spending, saying it would keep immigrants in the U.S. illegally and those who have access to insurance through their employers off the rolls.
Then someone in the crowd yelled that people will die without coverage.
“People are not … well, we all are going to die,” Ernst said, drawing groans. “So, for heaven’s sakes. For heaven’s sakes, folks.”
“What you don’t want to do is listen to me when I say that we are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable,” Ernst went on. “Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid we will protect.”
House Republicans last week muscled through the massive spending and tax cut package, dubbed “the big, beautiful bill” at the urging of President Donald Trump, by a single vote. It now moves to the Senate.
Ernst made clear Friday that any measure that emerges from the Senate will look different from the House version.
Republicans have defended the new work requirements for nondisabled adults without dependents and stepped up eligibility verification, saying the generated savings will sustain the program for vulnerable populations. Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage.
A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade.
Video of Ernst’s comment started making the rounds among Democratic elected officials and candidates. Ernst is up for reelection in 2026.
“This morning, Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud,” said Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement. He added that Republicans do not care “about whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer.”
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