Um, what?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst wants to repeal Obamacare. But she also wants to "protect" benefits for Iowans who have gained coverage under Obamacare's Medicaid expansion.
Ernst's positions -- repeal Obamacare but protect those on Medicaid -- are difficult to reconcile. About 78,860 Iowans have gained coverage under Medicaid expansion due to federal funds authorized by Obamacare, according to administration figures provided on May 1. If Obamacare is repealed, the federal funds for the new Medicaid beneficiaries would disappear.
The candidate's campaign website says she's "staunchly opposed to the Obamacare law" and "supports immediate action to repeal Obamacare."
Without Obamacare there would have be another source of funding in order to protect coverage for those Iowans. The state of Iowa could theoretically step in and fund the program through state dollars. But that would cost millions and there's no indication the state is prepared to do that. Ernst didn't point to an alternate funding stream she would support in the New York Times interview. - TPM, 8/22/14
Here's Ernst's response from the New York Times inveterview:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/...
Q. Republicans in Congress, over the last couple of years, have cut – with the administration, reluctantly – a lot of domestic spending. The spending that hasn’t been cut is entitlements — Medicare, Social Security. Is that what you want to trim when you talk about going to Washington to cut spending?
Joni Ernst: There are a number of things that need to be trimmed across the board, looking at Department of Education, I.R.S. — there are so many departments that we can cut from. What we have to do is protect those that are on Medicaid now; those that are on Social Security now. That, we need to protect. We have made promises to these people.
Going forward, we need to look at younger generations and protecting that for them in the future. So, we need to look at a number of different options. Again, I’m not going to bury my head in the sand.
We have to understand there’s a problem, and address it. But those that are already engaged in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, we need to protect that for them. - New York Times, 8/21/14
Yeah that's quite a response there. Especially coming from someone who recently said this about people on Medicaid:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R), who is running for U.S. Senate against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), suggested in an April newsletter that Medicaid recipients do not have personal responsibility for their health.
"Iowa has nearly 500,000 Medicaid enrollees. If the program is expanded, it is estimated the Medicaid population will grow by an additional 110,000 to 181,000 recipients who have no personal responsibility for their health and no accountability for the care provided," she wrote in the letter to constituents, first publicized by The Washington Post. - Huffington Post, 8/15/14
So yeah, lets see how all that plays out for Ernst. Meanwhile, Rep. Bruce Braley (D. IA) has continued to focus on big issues in this race like raising the minimum wage:
http://wcfcourier.com/...
Ossian resident Marilyn Gipson has a standing invitation for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst to come to the bucolic Winneshiek County community of about 800 to see how low-wage workers like herself make ends meet.
Gipson joined with Democratic candidate Bruce Braley’s campaign Thursday afternoon to criticize Ernst’s stance in opposition to a federal minimum wage.
“I make more than $7.25 an hour now, but I struggle every month, so I would challenge her, just to come to Ossian, Iowa,” Gipson said on the conference call with reporters. “In order to put a roof over my head and keep the utilities going, I work two jobs, at 58 years old, and will until I’m 70, I’m sure.”
Gipson’s comments came just after Braley for Iowa campaign manager Sarah Benzing shared some statistics from a campaign report on how Iowans would benefit from a minimum wage increase to $10.10 an hour and to highlight comments that Ernst has made opposing such an increase.
Though Ernst has opposed the $10.10 minimum wage increase, the Braley campaign is specifically highlighting comments she made earlier this week on WHO-TV saying, “I think $7.25 is a great starter wage for many high school students, those that are just getting into work experience.” - WCF Courier, 8/22/14
And Braley's been getting some extra help on the campaign trail:
http://www.omaha.com/...
Former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia spoke to about 10 people, mostly Vietnam veterans, at the Council Bluffs Public Library. Braley, a Democratic congressman who represents northwest Iowa, was campaigning elsewhere in the state and did not attend.
Webb, a fellow Democrat, said Braley had worked hard as a congressman to ensure that veterans receive health care and other benefits they earned while serving their country.
“I’m an admirer of Bruce Braley,” Webb said.
Braley is running for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat vacated by outgoing Sen. Tom Harkin. He’s up against Republican State Sen. Joni Ernst, a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard who has repeatedly touted her military experience.
Webb’s visit comes a month after Iowa Republicans blasted Braley for missing 15 of 20 House Committee on Veterans Affairs meetings during 2011 and 2012.
Webb, a 1968 graduate of the Naval Academy who served in Vietnam, defended Braley, saying lawmakers sometimes miss meetings because of scheduling conflicts, including with other congressional committees on which they serve. - Omaha World-Herald, 8/21/14
We still have a great shot to hold onto this seat, we just have to get our base out to the polls. Click here to donate and get involved with Braley's campaign:
http://www.brucebraley.com/
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