(NewsNation) — Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, faced backlash at a congressional town hall in Iowa for defending President Trump’s agenda on the “big, beautiful bill” and its impact on Medicaid.
Hinson is just one of the latest Republican lawmakers to face such confrontational crowds at home town halls, some of which have been swarmed by Democratic activists.
The unruly groups prompted GOP leadership to advise its members to hold off on having town hall meetings for now. But Hinson said she wasn’t afraid and went ahead with the meeting for the sake of transparency.
Hinson joined “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” to discuss the backlash and emphasized that Medicaid reforms aim to ensure benefits for the most vulnerable while encouraging able-bodied individuals to work.
“It is my job to be able to be able to get out there and explain exactly what we’re doing, which is a transformational bill, and you betcha, I will go out and defend what President Trump ran on, and what I ran on, which is respecting taxpayers, securing our border, protecting the most vulnerable,” Hinson said.
The “big, beautiful bill” is set to cut at least a trillion dollars from social safety net programs over the next 10 years, and nearly 9 million people would lose their Medicaid coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Hinson believes the decision to cut Medicaid will ensure it is available for the most vulnerable.
“When I look at the Iowans who are who are using Medicaid benefits, they are the seniors who are very, very poor. They’re young children who are poor, single mothers, I had several of the people who were disabled come out to my town hall and asked me, specifically, ‘Am I going to be OK?'”
She told NewsNation they will be.
“… If you’re medically … frail, you’re going to be fine. If you are a caretaker for someone who is medically infirm or disabled, you’re going to be fine.”