Republican Sen. Joni Ernst defends proposed Medicaid cuts: 'We all are going to die'

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was repeatedly pressed connected cuts to Medicaid successful the House's fund measure astatine a municipality hallway successful her location authorities connected Friday, and pushed backmost connected an attendee who said the cuts would pb to deaths.

"People are not — well, we each are going to die, so, for heaven’s sakes," she said, prompting resounding jeers.

The speech began with an attendee complaining to Ernst that the measure would springiness important taxation breaks to the ultra-wealthy portion kicking immoderate radical disconnected Medicaid and nutrient assistance programs.

Ernst said the lone radical who look getting booted are those who should not beryllium connected Medicaid successful the archetypal place.

“They’re not presently eligible by the archetypal explanation of Medicaid, and they volition beryllium moved disconnected of those Medicaid rolls, again inactive allowing those that are genuinely eligible for Medicaid to stay connected those rolls," the legislator said.

She aboriginal claimed that 1.4 cardinal undocumented immigrants are receiving Medicaid benefits. That figure, which the White House and different apical Republicans person besides cited, is based connected a Congressional Budget Office investigation that said that 1 proviso of the measure would origin 1.4 cardinal radical to suffer sum (including but not constricted to those without verified migration status.)

"They are not eligible, truthful they volition beryllium coming off," Ernst said, which is erstwhile she was interrupted by the attendee who yelled, "People are going to die!"

After Ernst gave her fatalistic response, she complained to the attendee, "What you don’t privation to bash is perceive to maine erstwhile I accidental that we are going to absorption connected those that are astir vulnerable."

Democrats pounced connected Ernst's "going to die" line, with DNC seat Ken Martin saying she "said the quiescent portion retired loud."

Martin said the remark shows Republicans don't attraction astir "whether their ain constituents unrecorded oregon dice arsenic agelong arsenic the richest fewer get richer, and that’s precisely wherefore they’re ramming done a fund measure that would rip distant wellness attraction and nutrient from millions of Americans, including kids and seniors."

An Ernst spokesperson said, “While Democrats fearmonger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused connected improving the lives of each Iowans. There’s lone 2 certainties successful life: decease and taxes, and she’s moving to easiness the load of some by warring to support much of Iowans’ hard-earned taxation dollars successful their ain pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Ernst besides got into testy exchanges astir DOGE cuts and her enactment for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth astatine the Butler County municipality hall, but was asked repeatedly astir the projected Medicaid changes.

"Everyone says that Medicaid is being cut. People are going to spot their benefits cut. That’s not true," she said earlier successful the municipality hall, to shouts from the crowd.

Ernst predicted the changes would fortify Medicaid successful the agelong run.

"What we bash request to bash is marque definite that those that are portion of a susceptible colonisation person entree to Medicaid and person those afloat benefits. So, what we’re trying to bash is fortify Medicaid by directing the dollars to the radical that really conscionable the requirements of the program," she said. "We volition bash overmuch better."