Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) had her hands full at a town hall meeting in Butler, Iowa, Friday, as angry constituents shouted and jeered at her as she defended President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
At one point, Ernst responded to a shout from the audience that people are “going to die” because of the massive cuts in the reconciliation bill the House passed last week.
“Well, we’re all going to die,” an unbothered Ernst said, as the crowd gasped and booed her.
The budget measure, which is now under consideration in the Senate, makes major cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have said the reforms are supposed to prevent people who are in the United States illegally from receiving federal aid and to root out fraud.
Politico reported that Ernst’s callous remark came after a woman, who said she had previously emailed Ernst about her concerns, argued the bill’s proposed cuts were not “compassionate” or “fiscally responsible,” and she accused the senator of supporting a “tax shelter” for the wealthy.
“For heaven’s sakes. For heaven’s sakes, folks,” Ernst said, clearly frustrated as some constituents refused to listen to her explanation of the cuts.
“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,” she said, according to The Hill. “Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, we will protect. We will protect them.”
“Medicaid is extremely important here in the state of Iowa,” she added.
The crowd continued shouting as Ernst tried to explain how the cuts would work.
“If you don’t want to listen, that’s fine. But what I’m doing is going through and telling you that those that are not eligible, those that are working and have opportunity for benefits elsewhere, then they should receive those benefits elsewhere and leave those dollars for those that are eligible for Medicaid,” she said.
While some estimates have put the number of undocumented migrants receiving federal aid at just under one-and-a-half million people, the National Immigration Law Center says they’re generally ineligible for most federal public assistance, including food stamps, or SNAP, and Medicaid.
But the Economic Policy Innovation Center, a conservative think tank, says 60% of non-citizen households use at least one welfare program. The center estimates these households are receiving more than $5,600 in annual federal benefits.
Ernst told her constituents at the town hall that the Republican budget bill is intended to stop overpayments and benefits to those who are not eligible for federal assistance.
“When you are arguing about illegals that are receiving Medicaid benefits, 1.4 million, they’re not eligible, so they will be coming off,” Ernst said as she struggled to be heard over the shouting crowd.
A spokesperson for Ernst accused Democrats of inciting fear among voters over the Republicans’ massive spending cuts, insisting Ernst is focused on “improving the lives of all Iowans,” according to the Hill.
“While Democrats fearmonger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans,” the aide said.
“There’s only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she’s working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans’ hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.”
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that almost 14 million Americans could lose their health insurance within 10 years under the House Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
