Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) doubled down on Saturday on her flippant remarks about people dying due to Medicaid cuts in a new Instagram video that appeared to be recorded in a cemetery.
During a town hall on Friday, Ernst was pressed about President Donald Trump’s tax bill, which would slash Medicaid in order to help fund a new round of tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.
The legislation is expected to force 10 million people off Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans.
Of the 10 million Americans who are expected to lose Medicaid under the Republican tax bill, none of them are undocumented immigrants.
The Trump tax bill would force millions off Medicaid by imposing work requirements on so-called “able-bodied” adults, demanding they work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month.
Sen. In a new Instagram video that seemed to have been taken in a cemetery, Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) intensified her casual comments about people dying as a result of Medicaid cuts on Saturday.
Ernst was asked about President Donald Trump’s tax plan, which would cut Medicaid to help pay for a new round of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, during a town hall on Friday. It is anticipated that 10 million people will be forced off Medicaid, the government health insurance program for Americans with disabilities and low incomes, as a result of the legislation.
Ernst retorted, “Well, we all are going to die,” in response to a shout from the audience that “people are going to die.”. Her unfunny joke made national headlines and was featured prominently on Saturday’s front page of The Des Moines Register.
Ernst, who is running for reelection next year, posted a video on her Instagram story on Saturday, making fun of her constituents who don’t want to die because they don’t have health insurance.
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“Hello, everybody. There are gravestones in the background of the video, which shows her saying, “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall.”. “You see, I was responding to a question posed by an audience member when a very upset woman yelled, ‘People are going to die,’ from the rear corner of the auditorium. And I was wrong to assume that everyone in the auditorium knew that, yes, we would all die on this planet. “.”.
Ernst says, “I’m really, really happy that I didn’t have to bring up the subject of the Tooth Fairy as well, and I apologize.”. However, I urge everyone who aspires to eternal life to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. “”.
“With Joni Ernst doubling down on her cruel words, thoughts and prayers have a new meaning for the Republican Party,” said Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin in a statement on Saturday. It is unethical and un-Christian to do nothing to save lives, but Trump, Ernst, and the Republican Party are determined to endanger their own voters. “.”.
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Ernst attempted to defend Friday’s Medicaid cuts, arguing that they were required to prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid. This is a common Republican talking point, but it is a clear fabrication: Medicaid does not cover undocumented immigrants. Under the Republican tax bill, 10 million Americans are anticipated to lose their Medicaid coverage; none of them are undocumented immigrants.
The Trump tax bill would require so-called “able-bodied” adults to work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month, forcing millions off Medicaid. The fact that many Medicaid recipients are unable to work but have not yet been granted disability benefits—a difficult process—is one issue with this concept. The insurance for those beneficiaries will be terminated.
Medicaid beneficiaries must also earn extremely low incomes due to the program’s stringent income caps. When combined, Republicans are essentially requiring Medicaid recipients to work at low-paying jobs in order to keep their insurance, and the additional red tape will undoubtedly cause many eligible beneficiaries to lose their coverage.
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“The Republicans are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable,” Ernst said Friday, adding that “Medicaid is extremely important here in the state of Iowa.”. “”.
