Overview

• At a May 31 town hall in Parkersburg, Iowa, Ernst shrugged off warnings that proposed Medicaid cuts could cause deaths by retorting, “we all are going to die.”
• That evening, she posted a sarcastic Instagram apology filmed in a cemetery, poking fun at constituents’ concerns and urging viewers to embrace Jesus Christ.
• Democrats and some Republican peers, including Hakeem Jeffries and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, slammed her remarks as callous and inconsistent with pro-life values.
• The Congressional Budget Office estimates the GOP budget’s Medicaid changes—cutting $723 billion over 10 years and adding work requirements—could leave 7.6 million Americans uninsured by 2034.
• Divisions have emerged in the Senate GOP as members debate edits to the Medicaid provisions to address worries about harming vulnerable constituents.