Latest news with #Medicaid
The Star
an hour ago
- Business
- The Star
As Musk exits, he sees his projects unraveling, inside and outside government
WASHINGTON: A Starship spun out of control in suborbital flight on Tuesday, failing to meet critical testing goals set by SpaceX in its plans for a mission to Mars. A poll released last week showed the national brand reputation for Tesla, once revered, had cratered. And later that same day, House Republicans passed a bill that would balloon the federal deficit. It has been a challenging period for Elon Musk, the world's richest man, who not long ago thought he had conquered the private sector and could, in short order, do the same with the federal government. That all ended Wednesday evening with his announcement he is leaving the Trump administration. 'As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,' Musk wrote on X, his social media platform. The mission of the program he called the Department of Government Efficiency 'will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,' he added. Musk's departure comes on the heels of a ruling from a federal judge in Washington on Wednesday questioning Musk's initial appointment as a temporary government employee and, by extension, whether any of his work for DOGE was constitutional. 'I thought there were problems,' Musk said in a recent interview with The Washington Post , 'but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.' Growing conflicts with Trump Musk's role as an omnipresent adviser to President Donald Trump began to wane weeks ago, amid public backlash against DOGE's cuts to treasured government programs – from cancer research to the National Park Service – and after Trump bucked Musk's counsel on economic policy, launching a global trade war that jolted supply chains and financial markets. But the entrepreneur has grown increasingly vocal with criticism of the Trump administration this week, stating that a megabill pushed by the White House proposing an overhaul to the tax code risks undermining his efforts to cut government spending. Musk responded to a user on X, his social media platform, on Monday lamenting that House Republicans 'won't vote' to codify DOGE's cuts. 'Did my best,' he wrote. 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,' Musk explained further in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning later in the week. 'I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion.' The 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' would increase border security and defence spending, renew tax cuts passed in 2017 and extend a new tax deduction to seniors, while eliminating green energy tax benefits and cutting US$1mil (RM4.26 trillion) in funding to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Despite the cuts, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would add so much money to the debt that Congress may be forced to execute cuts across the board, including hundreds of billions to Medicare, in a process known as sequestration. Hours after the CBS interview aired, the White House appeared to respond directly to Musk with the release of a press release titled 'FACT: One, Big, Beautiful Bill Cuts Spending, Fuels Growth.' And Trump responded directly from the Oval Office, noting Democratic opposition and the challenges of unifying a fractious GOP caucus. Negotiations with the Senate will result in changes to the legislation, Trump said. 'My reaction's a lot of things,' Trump said. 'I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it.' 'That's the way they go,' he added. 'It's very big. It's the big, beautiful bill.' Cuts in question It is unclear whether Musk succeeded in making the government more efficient, regardless of what Congress does. While the DOGE program originally set a goal of cutting US$2 trillion (RM8.52 trillion) in federal spending, Musk ultimately revised that target down dramatically, to US$150bil (RM640bil). The program's 'wall of receipts' claims that US$175bil (RM746bil) has been saved, but the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Fiscal Service has documented an increase in spending over last year. 'DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,' Musk said in the Post interview this week. 'So, like, something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it.' Musk had been brought into the Trump administration designated as a special government employee, a position limited to 130 days that does not require Senate approval. But the legal case making its way through the Washington courtroom of US District Judge Tanya Chutkan is questioning the entire arrangement. The White House attempted to 'minimise Musk's role, framing him as a mere adviser without any formal authority,' Chutkan wrote, while granting him broad powers that gave him 'unauthorised access' to 'private and proprietary information,' like Social Security numbers and medical records. Those actions, Chutkan added, provide the basis for parties to claim Musk inflicted substantial injury in a legal challenge. 'I think I've done enough' Musk was scheduled to speak Tuesday after SpaceX's Starship test launch, setting out the road ahead to 'making life multiplanetary.' But he never appeared after the spacecraft failed early on in its planned trajectory to orbit Earth. Starship is supposed to be the vehicle that returns Americans to the moon in just two years. NASA, in conjunction with US private sector companies, is in a close race with China to return humans to the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program. But none of Musk's endeavours has suffered more than his electric car company, Tesla, which saw a 71% plunge in profits in the first quarter of 2025 and a 50% drop in stock value from its highs in December. An Axios Harris Poll released last week found that Tesla dropped in its reputation ranking of America's 100 most visible companies to 95th place, down from eighth in 2021 and 63rd last year. The reputational damage to Tesla, setbacks at SpaceX and limits to his influence on Trump appear to be cautioning Musk to step back from his political activity. 'I think in terms of political spending, I'm going to do a lot less in the future,' Musk told Bloomberg News on May 20, during the Qatar Economic Forum. 'I think I've done enough.' – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
CNN
an hour ago
- Business
- CNN
‘Well, we all are going to die': GOP Senator defends Medicaid cuts in heated town hall
GOP senator pressed on Medicaid in heated town hall GOP Sen. Joni Ernst faced concerns from town hall attendees over potential cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs as a result of President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill, saying at one point, 'Well, we all are going to die,' and insisting that those who are eligible for Medicaid will continue to receive payments. 01:12 - Source: CNN Fareed Zakaria breaks down Trump's tariff battle CNN's Fareed Zakaria breaks down what's going on with President Donald Trump's battle with the Supreme Court over tariffs. 00:58 - Source: CNN Hear from the athlete at center of Trump threat on trans sports If high school track standout A.B. Hernandez competes at the state championship, California's federal funding may be in doubt. President Donald Trump has promised to cut the funds if the transgender teen is allowed to compete. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones reports. 02:07 - Source: CNN President Trump's timeline for things seems to almost always be 'in two weeks' President Donald Trump told reporters it will take about 'two weeks' to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine. That two week timeline, CNN's Abby Phillip says, is a familiar one. 01:48 - Source: CNN President Trump is on a pardoning spree President Donald Trump used his pardon power to grant clemency to a wave of individuals who had been convicted of crimes that range from public corruption, guns and even maritime-related offenses, according to multiple officials. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 00:53 - Source: CNN Trump responds to Wall Street term 'TACO': Trump Always Chickens Out President Donald Trump was asked about "TACO," an acronym that means "Trump Always Chickens Out," which is used by Wall Street workers for his on-and-off approach to tariffs. Calling it "the nastiest question," Trump defended his tariff policy by calling it "negotiation." 01:13 - Source: CNN Harvard students and faculty speak out against Trump Harvard students and faculty spoke to CNN ahead of commencement as Donald Trump said the university should cap foreign enrollment. The Trump administration has recently sought to cancel $100 million in contracts with the school. 02:03 - Source: CNN Trump says new Russia sanctions could hurt peace talks President Donald Trump expressed concern that levying new sanctions against Russia in response to their continued strikes in Ukraine could jeopardize peace talks between the two nations. 00:51 - Source: CNN Trump voter may lose his job because of Trump policies CNN's John King visits one of the country's top targets of the 2026 midterms — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — and speaks to a Trump voter who is in danger of being laid off due to the President's tariffs. 01:11 - Source: CNN He voted for the first time at 55. Hear why CNN's John King visits one of the country's top targets of the 2026 midterms — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — and hears why, at 55, one man felt compelled to vote in a presidential election for the first time in his life. 01:04 - Source: CNN DEI leader: Trump's agenda 'instills fear' CNN's John King visits one of the country's top targets of the 2026 midterms — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — where a leader of a DEI program tells him what she's doing to prepare for possible funding cuts. 00:48 - Source: CNN NYC Mayor Eric Adams defends Trump relationship New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks with CNN's Maria Santana about his controversial relationship with President Donald Trump, which has garnered close attention after the Department of Justice recommended his criminal charges be dropped. 01:07 - Source: CNN Trump directs federal agencies to cancel Harvard contracts The White House is directing federal agencies to cancel all remaining contracts with Harvard University – about $100 million in all, two senior Trump administration officials told CNN – the latest barb against the school as it refuses to bend to the White House's barrage of policy demands amid a broader politically charged assault on US colleges. 01:15 - Source: CNN Finland's president responds to Russian military activity along border CNN's Erin Burnett speaks with Finland's President Alexander Stubb about his country ramping up its military to deter potential Russian aggression. 02:16 - Source: CNN Trump pardons reality TV couple Todd and Julie Chrisley President Donald Trump has signed full pardons for imprisoned reality show couple Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in 2022 for a conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million, according to a White House official. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 01:07 - Source: CNN Trump: 'I don't know what the hell happened to Putin' Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, President Donald Trump said that he was 'not happy with what Putin is doing', after Moscow launched its largest aerial attack of its three-year full-scale war on Ukraine overnight. 00:50 - Source: CNN Trump visits Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day President Donald Trump honors fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. 00:27 - Source: CNN Johnson pressed on Medicaid cuts in spending bill CNN's Jake Tapper asks House Speaker Mike Johnson about who will lose Medicaid under President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'. Johnson defends the proposed cuts and argues the changes target "waste, fraud and abuse." 01:30 - Source: CNN Is the U.S. on the brink of fiscal crisis? President Trump's economic agenda is expected to add nearly $4 trillion to the US national debt. CNN's Phil Mattingly breaks down what that could mean for the economy. 01:48 - Source: CNN
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
'We all are going to die': Senator Ernst booed at Town Hall over support for Trump's $700 billion spending cuts
Senator Joni Ernst (Image credits: AP) Republican senator Joni Ernst faced boos and groans from constituents during a tense town hall in Parkersburg, Iowa, on Friday after defending a Republican-backed spending and tax cut package, dubbed as 'the big, beautiful bill' by US President Trump, which includes $700 billion in cuts, including significant reductions to Medicaid. Speaking at a high school in north-central Iowa, Ernst was responding to a constituent who warned that people could die without health coverage. 'People are not... well, we all are going to die,' Ernst replied, drawing audible groans from the crowd. She added, 'For heaven's sake, folks,' and stressed that the proposal would protect 'those that are most vulnerable' and eligible for Medicaid. The controversial legislation narrowly passed the House last week by a single vote and now moves to the Senate. Ernst acknowledged that the Senate version will likely differ from the House bill. Republicans argue the bill's new work requirements and stricter eligibility checks for able-bodied adults without dependents will preserve the program for those who need it most. Democrats, however, warn that millions could lose coverage. According to a preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional budget office, the plan could leave 8.6 million people without healthcare over the next decade. Video of Ernst's comment quickly circulated on social media, with Democratic leaders using it to attack the GOP's stance on healthcare. 'This morning, Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud: Republicans do not care about whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer,' said Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic national committee. Ernst is up for re-election in 2026.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Sen. Joni Ernst sparks crowd's anger with ‘we all are going to die' response to Medicaid cut questions
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said 'we all are going to die' as she addressed potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa on Friday. She had been consistent in her message throughout the contentious forum at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, as she defended the tax and immigration package that has passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. Facing several constituents concerned about cuts to Medicaid, she defended the $700 billion in reduced spending, saying it would keep immigrants in the U.S. illegally and those who have access to insurance through their employers off the rolls. Advertisement Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said 'we all are going to die' when citing the potential changes that could be made to Medicaid eligibility at an Iowa town hall Friday. IB Photography – Then someone in the crowd yelled that people will die without coverage. 'People are not … well, we all are going to die,' Ernst said, drawing groans. Advertisement 'So, for heaven's sakes. For heaven's sakes, folks.' '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,' Ernst went on. 'Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid we will protect.' House Republicans last week muscled through the massive spending and tax cut package, dubbed 'the big, beautiful bill' at the urging of President Donald Trump, by a single vote. Advertisement Ernst had the forum held at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, while she also defended the tax and immigration bill that had passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. WAAY 31 News It now moves to the Senate. Ernst made clear Friday that any measure that emerges from the Senate will look different from the House version. Republicans have defended the new work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and stepped up eligibility verification, saying the generated savings will sustain the program for vulnerable populations. Advertisement Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade. Video of Ernst's comment started making the rounds among Democrat elected officials and candidates. Ernst is up for reelection in 2026. 'This morning, Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud:' Republicans do not care 'about whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer,' said Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Ernst draws groans at Iowa town hall after retort on Medicaid cuts, saying 'we all are going to die'
DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said 'we all are going to die' as she addressed potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa on Friday. She had been consistent in her message throughout the contentious forum at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, as she defended the tax and immigration package that has passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. Facing several constituents concerned about cuts to Medicaid, she defended the $700 billion in reduced spending, saying it would keep immigrants in the U.S. illegally and those who have access to insurance through their employers off the rolls.
