This post contains excerpts of an article originally published by Truthout.
Republicans are mocking Americans and belittling those who have expressed concerns that they are going to lose Medicaid coverage under the party’s major legislative push that puts tens of millions of people at risk of losing that crucial lifeline.
In recent statements, Republicans have either outright lied about the effects that their reconciliation bill will have —claiming they are not pursuing Medicaid cuts when they are — or said that those afraid of losing coverage are exaggerating and should simply get jobs.
On Sunday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) falsely told NBC that losing Medicaid would be a personal choice, rather than one forced upon people by a few hundred of the most powerful legislators in the U.S.
“Those 4.8 million people will not lose their Medicaid unless they choose to do so,” Johnson said.
He was referring to a figure from the Congressional Budget Office suggesting that 4.8 million people would lose coverage and become uninsured under the GOP’s work requirements for Medicaid.
The right, meanwhile, has spun that figure into meaning that those 4.8 million people could gain employment and get back on Medicaid. This is misleading, as research has found that stricter work requirements would not increase employment while also barring those unable to navigate red tape from enrolling.
Other estimates of the consequences of work requirements put that figure far higher, with some saying that 36 million people could lose coverage, or roughly half of Americans enrolled in Medicaid.
Johnson further lied and said that those who would lose coverage are just “complaining” because people “are going to lose their coverage because they can’t fulfill the paperwork.” He suggested that those afraid of losing coverage simply get a job to gain their coverage back — promoting disinformation about how the program works while condescending to struggling Americans who will lose coverage under the system’s increasingly thorny requirements.
What Johnson ignores is that the majority of people on Medicaid already work and qualify for benefits based on low income levels. Meanwhile, those without jobs who qualify are often people who can’t work or meet the requirements, with family obligations, with disabilities or in school.
Still, Johnson said that the policy is “an important and frankly heroic thing.” Surveys have found that Medicaid cuts are extremely unpopular, with only 17 percent saying that they support cuts and 82 percent saying Medicaid spending should stay the same or grow. The GOP’s cuts could threaten hundreds, if not thousands, of lives, with studies finding that loss of Medicaid benefits is associated with excess death.
Republicans don’t seem to care about the death and instability threatened by their bill. Last week, in response to a constituent concerned that Americans “are going to die” under the bill, Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa) said: “Well, we all are going to die. So, for heaven’s sakes.”
After widespread backlash, Ernst doubled down on the comments over the weekend in a post on Instagram, suggesting that those afraid of deaths under the Medicaid cuts are like children who believe in the tooth fairy.
The senator feigned like she was apologizing, but then said: “I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this earth. So, I apologize.”
Continuing in a haughty tone, Ernst went on: “And I’m really really glad I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well. But for those that would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”
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