Week in Review: Iowa Republicans Fail to Defend their Big, Bad Budget Bill
Joni Ernst says ‘we all are going to die’ when told Republican-led SNAP, Medicaid cuts will kill people
Des Moines, IA — From Joni Ernst telling Iowans ‘we all are going to die’ when told Medicaid and SNAP cuts will kill people, to Ashley Hinson getting booed by Iowans who will see their health insurance premiums spike because of legislation she voted for, Iowa Republicans failed repeatedly this week to defend their big, bad budget bill.
Here are just a few headlines from both Iowa and across the country about their disastrous townhalls:
DES MOINES REGISTER: ‘Well, we all are going to die’: Sen. Ernst defends Medicaid cuts at heated Iowa town hall
IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH: ‘Well, we all are going to die’: Sen. Ernst defends Medicaid cuts at heated Iowa town hall
You can watch clips from: KCRG, KWWL, KTVO, KCCI, WHO13, WQAD, KIMT, WOWT, KYOU, KCAU, WOI-TV
NEW YORK TIMES: Defending Medicaid Cuts, Ernst Tells Iowans, ‘We All Are Going to Die’
CNN: Joni Ernst’s ‘Well, we all are going to die,’ and the GOP’s flippant defenses of Trump’s agenda
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Ernst draws groans at Iowa town hall after retort on Medicaid cuts, saying ‘we all are going to die’
MSNBC: Pressed on Medicaid cuts, Iowa’s Ernst tells constituents, ‘Well, we’re all going to die’
POLITICO: ‘Well, we all are going to die’: Joni Ernst spars with town hall crowd over Medicaid
NBC News: GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson met with boos at Iowa town hall
KCRG: Ashley Hinson booed at town hall meeting in Elkader
ABC News: Crowd boos GOP Rep. Hinson at Iowa town hall over Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
Fox News: Iowa congresswoman booed for supporting Trump at town hall
OurQuadCities: Protesters wait outside Rep. Miller-Meeks’ event in Davenport
All this followed Rep. Miller-Meeks literally running away from answering questions about her vote in Washington.
Meanwhile, Zach Nunn doubled-down on his support for Republican’s disastrous budget bill. Nunn “said he believes there are people who need access to social safety net programs, but he believes the legislation, which makes massive spending cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are for the best.”
The bill being debated in Washington could have devastating consequences for Iowans:
Health care leaders have warned the cuts will put rural hospitals “at risk” to close. Iowa is 44th in physicians per capita and over 600 health care facilities have closed since 2008.
A report based on the CBO’s non-partisan analysis shows up to 93,000 Iowans could lose health insurance between the Medicaid cuts and changes to the Affordable Care Act.
Cuts to the Affordable Care Act will raise premiums by hundreds of dollars
Over 116,000 Iowans depend on food assistance while food insecurity increased in all 99 counties last year.
As a result of tax breaks that mostly benefit the wealthy, the bill will add over $4 trillion to the national deficit.
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