Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is the latest Republican to face an angry crowd of constituents, sparring with town hall attendees over President Donald Trump’s signature piece of legislation.
Constituents on Friday gathered in Butler County, Iowa, to hear Ernst defend the Trump administration’s work, including efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency and Republicans’ congressional priorities.
But when a constituent questioned Ernst about the reconciliation bill, things became heated. The woman, who said she had previously emailed Ernst’s office with her concerns, argued the bill’s proposed cuts seemed neither “compassionate” nor “fiscally responsible.” She accused Ernst of supporting a “tax shelter” for the wealthy.
As the audience applauded the woman, she continued, expressing concerns about the bill’s proposed cuts to SNAP benefits and Medicaid spending. Ernst said those who would lose Medicaid were not currently eligible for Medicaid.
“You are arguing — when you’re arguing about illegals that are receiving Medicaid benefits, 1.4 million, 1.4 million they’re not — they are not eligible so they will be coming off,” Ernst said. One audience member could then be heard shouting, “People are going to die.”
“Well, we all are going to die,” Ernst responded.
Audience members gasped and booed the senator, but Ernst seemed unbothered.
“Listen to me when I say that we are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable,” Ernst said as constituents continued to shout at her.
House Republicans passed the reconciliation bill — which Trump dubbed the “big beautiful bill” — after weeks of internal debate. Only two Republicans sided with Democrats in voting against the bill. But the bill faces another battle in the Senate, where Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) previously compared it to the Titanic and said he’s going to make sure it sinks in the upper chamber.
Initial estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has found that the bill could lead to 7.6 million people going uninsured.
“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 benefits elsewhere, then they should receive those benefits elsewhere. Leave those dollars for those that are eligible for Medicaid,” Ernst continued.
Republicans from around the nation have faced hostile crowds of constituents in the months following Trump’s election.
Some GOP leaders — including Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson — have offered unsubstantiated claims that people at the town halls are paid protesters. “The videos you saw of the town halls were for paid protesters in many of those places,” Johnson told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins earlier this year. “This is an old playbook that they pulled out and ran, and it made it look like that what is happening in Washington is unpopular.”
House Republicans’ campaign arm also advised members in March to not hold in-person town halls.
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