logo
Democrat announces run against Joni Ernst after 'we're all going to die' comments

Democrat announces run against Joni Ernst after 'we're all going to die' comments

Yahoo2 days ago

After Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told a town hall audience, 'We're all going to die,' when responding to constituents' concerns about Medicaid cuts, Democratic state Rep. J.D. Scholten — who has been publicly flirting with a run against the GOP incumbent — decided to launch his campaign.
'I just felt, you know, I have to do this,' Scholten told POLITICO in an interview ahead of his announcement, which is planned for Monday. Ernst's remarks, he said, 'disrespected' Iowans.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

GOP Rep.: The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill—and What Democrats Don't Want You to Know
GOP Rep.: The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill—and What Democrats Don't Want You to Know

Newsweek

time13 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

GOP Rep.: The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill—and What Democrats Don't Want You to Know

Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democrats have spent weeks fearmongering about so-called cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Let's be clear: those talking points are false, and they know it. What this bill actually does is protect and preserve these critical safety net programs for the people they were designed to serve—pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. It does so by taking on the real problem: waste, fraud, and abuse that have run rampant in our federal health programs for decades. The fact is, we are not cutting benefits for people who truly need them. We are ensuring that only those who are legal, eligible, and truly unable to work are receiving taxpayer-funded assistance. It is not compassionate to keep a broken system running. It is irresponsible and unsustainable. United States Capitol complex is pictured. United States Capitol complex is pictured. Getty Images Consider this: over 1.4 million illegal immigrants are receiving taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits. That's not just wrong—it's dangerous. In some cases, these individuals are even on federal terror watch lists. Illegal immigrants with serious criminal records and links to terrorism have been receiving Medicaid. The One Big Beautiful Bill puts a stop to that. In addition to that, another 1.2 million people are enrolled in Medicaid despite being ineligible, and 4.8 million able-bodied adults without dependents are receiving full benefits with no requirement to work, volunteer, or pursue education or job training. Meanwhile, we hear from struggling families who actually qualify—disabled individuals, children, low-income seniors, pregnant women—who face delays and denials because Medicaid is being flooded by those who shouldn't be on it. Let's be honest: if you're fighting to protect benefits for people who are illegal, ineligible, or able to work and simply choose not to, you're not fighting for the vulnerable—you're fighting to protect the status quo of waste, fraud, and abuse. This bill restores common sense. It requires able-bodied adults to engage in 20 hours of work, job training, volunteering, or education each week in order to remain eligible for Medicaid. That's not radical—that's responsible. We also reduce federal funds to states that knowingly use Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants, like California, which plans to spend nearly $10 billion subsidizing health care for undocumented individuals using federal dollars. The One Big Beautiful Bill ends payments made for dead people and duplicate enrollees. One audit found over $4.3 billion in duplicate payments made to health insurers for just these cases. It also rolls back Biden-era rules that blocked states from removing ineligible individuals from their Medicaid rolls and imposed unrealistic mandates on nursing homes—mandates that would've forced 80 percent of facilities nationwide to shut down due to staffing requirements they simply cannot meet. The bill also improves access to care by increasing transparency in pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and cracking down on spread pricing schemes that, according to the FTC, cost Americans $7.3 billion in excess revenue in 2024 alone. This means lower drug prices and better access to medications, especially for seniors. We are bringing back accountability. We are making sure resources go to those who truly need them—not to those exploiting the system. The One Big Beautiful Bill is not about taking care—it's about fixing a broken system and saving it for the next generation. Democrats can keep shouting their talking points, but the facts are on our side. This is a bill that puts the American people first—one that prioritizes working families, protects the most vulnerable, and stops Washington from wasting your money. That's not extreme. That's leadership. Congresswoman Erin Houchin represents Indiana's 9th District and serves on the House Rules, Budget, and Energy & Commerce Committees. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

Whitmer says nearly 1.5 million Michiganders at risk because of potential cuts to SNAP, Medicaid
Whitmer says nearly 1.5 million Michiganders at risk because of potential cuts to SNAP, Medicaid

CBS News

time14 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Whitmer says nearly 1.5 million Michiganders at risk because of potential cuts to SNAP, Medicaid

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claims the federal budget plan currently moving through Congress will cost Michiganders $900 million in benefits through food assistance, Medicaid and other programs. She called upon Michigan's Congressional delegation to look out for those who would most notice the financial impact, citing data from a Michigan State Budget Office report on how many Michiganders could be impacted and who they are. The SBO's memo relates that nearly 15% of Michiganders, or almost 1.5 million people, receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. More than 59% are families with children, 39% are families with members who are older adults or are disabled, and 41,000 are veterans, around 10% of our total veteran population. SNAP is the program formerly known as food stamps. These days, the benefits are handled through the Michigan Bridge Card, an Electric Benefits Transfer system. As a related matter, the SBO said 67% of SNAP recipients are covered by Medicaid, meaning some budget cuts under deliberation by Congress could threaten both the health care and food access of nearly 950,000 Michiganders. "They're jamming these cuts into a bill that also guts Medicaid, terminating health care for millions of our most vulnerable friends, family, and neighbors while jacking up costs on everyone," the governor said about the budget bill. "That's unacceptable. We should be making it easier for families to afford the essentials, like food and health care, not harder." Nonprofits and charities that can help fill the gap would notice the strain, said Ken Estelle, President and CEO of Feeding America West Michigan. Reducing SNAP benefits and/or increasing the eligibility requirements would send more people in the direction of a food bank. "We have experienced very high levels of need for food assistance for the past several years, and the potential increase in need because of these budget cuts could well exceed our ability to provide food to everyone in need," Estelle said. Pastor Richard R. White III, president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit & Vicinity, also said he has concerns. "For those we serve, who already struggle to put food on the table, this is not just a policy decision — it is a moral failure." Arguments in favor of funding the SNAP program, Whitmer's statement said, include the fact that EBT cards are accepted for payment at 9,800 locations across the state, supporting retail jobs and local economies. The governor said that most working-age adults who receive SNAP are supplementing low-paying jobs with inconsistent hours or are temporarily out of work. Pregnant mothers who have access to food benefits benefit from fewer missed days of work and healthier birthweight. And seniors who use SNAP are less likely to need hospitalization, less likely to be admitted to a nursing home, and more likely to use their prescribed medications.

Only Two Republicans Were Brave Enough to Vote Against Medicaid Cuts
Only Two Republicans Were Brave Enough to Vote Against Medicaid Cuts

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Only Two Republicans Were Brave Enough to Vote Against Medicaid Cuts

House Republicans passed Trump's 'big, beautiful' spending bill by just one vote early Thursday morning. After hours of deliberation, the bill passed 215–214, an incredibly slim margin that highlights the lack of political cohesion within the GOP. Two Republican representatives—Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio—voted with the Democrats. The bill will include even more funding for the military and more funding for Trump's border crackdown, while slashing crucial programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and also repealing clean energy credits put in place by the Biden administration. Up to 15 million Americans will be uninsured by 2034 due to the bill's cuts, and 7.6 million will be at risk of losing Medicaid, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. 'What we're going to do here this morning is truly historic, and it will make all the difference in the daily lives of hardworking Americans.… To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again, and it's been a long time coming,' Speaker Mike Johnson said, in a floor speech prior to the vote. Democrats are accusing the GOP of pushing the anti-working-class bill 'under the cover of darkness.' 'Here's what it will mean for the American people,' Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, prior to the vote. 'Children will get hurt. Women will get hurt. Older Americans who rely on Medicaid for nursing home care and for home care will get hurt. People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to survive, will get hurt. Hospitals in your districts will close. Nursing homes will shut down. And people will die.' This story has been updated.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store