Last week, vulnerable Iowa Republicans Joni “We all are going to die” Ernst, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn, and Ashley Hinson voted for the GOP’s disastrous and unpopular budget bill – better known across the state as the “Big Ugly Bill” – and they’re actually celebrating their attacks on Iowans’ very lives.
After months of dodging their constituents, who begged them to vote against this bill, Iowa Republicans cheered as they voted to rip away health care from over 650,000 Iowans, imperil 82 critical access hospitals, and cut food assistance that over 263,000 Iowans rely on. To add insult to injury, Nunn in particular knows Iowans hate this bill, which is why he downplayed how the bill will put rural hospitals at risk.
“Joni Ernst, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn, and Ashley Hinson voted to rip health care away from Iowans and put rural hospitals on life support – all to bankroll more tax breaks for billionaires,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Nico Delgado. “These cruel Republicans spent months dodging their constituents, only to turn around and gut essential care, then brag about it. They didn’t just betray Iowans – they’re proud of it.”
How Iowa Republicans screwed over their own constituents and put rural hospitals at risk:
- Iowa Starting Line: 5 ways Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ would change life in Iowa
- WQAD: Iowa rural hospitals could be at risk under Trump’s tax bill
- Quad City News: Concerns about potential impact on rural Iowa hospitals from Medicaid cuts grow
- Siouxland Public Media: Impact of federal budget cuts could mean more rural hospital closures, less money for people served by food banks & English language learner courses in Iowa
Published: Jul 8, 2025 | Last Modified: Jul 9, 2025