Pro-Life Republican senator defends Medicaid cuts with haunting line: “We all are going to die anyways”

At a tense town hall event in Iowa on Friday, Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, found herself in the hot seat as constituents repeatedly questioned her about the House GOP’s budget proposal, particularly its anticipated impact on Medicaid. When confronted by a frustrated attendee who warned that the proposed Medicaid cuts would cost lives, Ernst offered a blunt and controversial response that ignited backlash.

“People are not — well, we all are going to die, so, for heaven’s sakes,” Ernst replied, drawing loud jeers from the audience.

The clash unfolded after a concerned local brought up the budget’s generous tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, contrasting it with provisions that could disqualify many from accessing Medicaid and food assistance. Ernst attempted to reassure the crowd by insisting that the changes would only affect individuals who shouldn’t have been on Medicaid to begin with.

“They’re not currently eligible by the original definition of Medicaid, and they will be moved off of those Medicaid rolls, again still allowing those that are truly eligible for Medicaid to remain on those rolls,” she explained.

Ernst then referenced a widely circulated claim that 1.4 million undocumented immigrants are enrolled in Medicaid. That number stems from a Congressional Budget Office estimate indicating that about 1.4 million individuals—some undocumented, others with various eligibility issues—could lose coverage due to policy shifts.

“They are not eligible, so they will be coming off,” she added. That’s when an audience member interjected with a shout: “People are going to die!” After her now-infamous “we all are going to die” retort, Ernst tried to defend her position. “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.”

Democratic leaders quickly seized on the moment. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, accused Ernst of giving away the game. He said her comment revealed how “Republicans don’t care whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer, and that’s precisely why they’re ramming through a budget bill that would rip away health care and food from millions of Americans, including kids and seniors.”

JD Scholten, a Democrat exploring a possible run against Ernst, called the comment “so crazy.” He posted a video on Instagram, saying: “We all don’t have to die so billionaires can have a bigger tax break.”

In response, a spokesperson for Ernst defended her broader goals and accused Democrats of fearmongering. “While Democrats fearmonger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans. There’s only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she’s working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans’ hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The Butler County event also saw confrontational discussions about proposed cuts to DOGE and her support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but the primary focus from the audience remained the Medicaid provisions in the GOP budget.

“Everyone says that Medicaid is being cut. People are going to see their benefits cut. That’s not true,” Ernst said during an earlier part of the town hall, prompting more pushback from the crowd. Still, she maintained that the proposed changes would be beneficial over time.

“What we do need to do is make sure that those that are part of a vulnerable population have access to Medicaid and receive those full benefits. So, what we’re trying to do is strengthen Medicaid by directing the dollars to the people that actually meet the requirements of the program,” she said. “We will do much better.”

Sources:

- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKSd_isuKd_/

- https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/05/one-big-beautiful-bill-protects-medicaid-by-removing-illegals-from-the-program/

- https://www.factcheck.org/2025/05/a-false-claim-about-illegal-immigration-and-medicaid/

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