Medicaid changes under the Republican tax and domestic policy bill have gained attention after a Republican senator said, “we are all going to die,” in response to a town hall question.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was speaking about federal cuts to Medicaid at a town hall on May 30 when someone from the audience shouted, “people will die!”
“People are not – well, we all are going to die. For heaven’s sakes, folks,” Ernst responded in a now-viral refrain.
House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, went on to tell CNN on June 1, “people will literally die.” His comments sparked a “Mythbuster” message from the White House.
“Medicaid will be strengthened for the American citizens for whom the program was designed,” a June 2 White House article on it stated.
The bill has passed the House but is under consideration in the Senate; it may face opposition over Medicaid and other things. So what does the bill, dubbed by President Donald Trump as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” say about Medicaid?
Meet India May: What’s next for the Iowan who shouted ‘people will die’ at Joni Ernst over Medicaid cuts
Who would lose Medicaid under the Trump bill?
About 10.9 million Americans would lose coverage by 2034, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The bill would require that nondisabled Medicaid recipients participate in at least 80 hours of work per month. Americans could qualify for an exemption, like being a student or caregiver.
Immigrants who get Medicaid through state-funded programs would also lose their coverage.
The bill would also increase the eligibility checks for coverage.
How many Americans are on Medicaid?
As of January 2025, about 71 million people were enrolled in Medicaid, according to Medicaid.gov.
Iowa Senator defends her statement in sarcastic video mentioning tooth fairy
Ernst addressed the town hall moment in a seemingly sarcastic video on May 31.
“Hello everyone,” Ernst said in the video posted to her Instagram Story and apparently filmed in a cemetery. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall.
“I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth,” she said. “So, I apologize. And I’m really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.”
Republicans have defended the Medicaid cuts, saying they will protect coverage for eligible people and reduce spending.
Elon Musk says ‘KILL BILL’
In a surprising turn from his alliance with Trump, Elon Musk has waged a full-on “kill the bill” social media campaign on the legislation.
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk said on June 3. He has said changes in the bill will be too expensive.
“I’m very disappointed with Elon,” Trump said on June 5, before taking to Truth Social to escalate their disagreement. “I helped Elon a lot.”
Contributing: Ken Alltucker, Riley Beggin, Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY; Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Medicaid changes: What the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ says
