Karen Wagner speaks with Rep. Mike Flood earlier than a city corridor at Kimball Recital Corridor on the campus of the College of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Neb., on Aug. 4.
Rebecca S. Gratz for The Washington Submit/Getty Pictures
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Rebecca S. Gratz for The Washington Submit/Getty Pictures
Consultant Mike Flood felt the total fury of his constituents over his assist of President Trump’s “One Large Stunning Invoice” at a city corridor assembly in Lincoln, Nebraska this week.
Flood — a second-term Republican — hosted the general public gathering Monday night time the place attendees loudly berated him about considerations that social security internet packages, particularly Medicaid, can be affected by the president’s signature piece of laws.
Attendees from the gang of greater than 700 additionally questioned the president’s controversial method to immigration enforcement and repeatedly heckled Flood as he tried to defend the tax and spending measure. At one level many within the viewers chanted “Tax the wealthy!”
The city corridor, which has gone viral, wrapped up with chants of “Vote him out!”
In an interview with Morning Version, Flood mentioned “it is vital to face within the city sq. and clarify your votes and what it means to dispel misinformation and take questions,” noting that the “most spirited” attendees are regulars at his city halls and residents of town.
Whereas talking to NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Flood defended the adjustments Trump’s tax and spending measure makes to Medicaid — as Flood did repeatedly in the course of the city corridor.
“Should you’re in a position bodied, you possibly can work and also you select to not work, then you’ll not get free well being care,” Flood mentioned, referring to the added Medicaid work necessities in states which have expanded the security internet program.
Flood additional detailed why he backs the adjustments made to Medicaid, Trump’s tariffs and the way he hopes they are going to profit his state by subsequent yr.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Interview highlights
Steve Inskeep: You talked preemptively, as a matter of reality, about Medicaid cuts, that are a part of the large finances invoice that President Trump signed just lately and that you just voted for. You insisted that solely people who find themselves not eligible for Medicaid or individuals who do not work might be faraway from the well being care rolls. What makes you positive of that?
Rep. Mike Flood: Properly, you understand, the president was really very clear. He didn’t need us to mess with Medicaid. He mentioned it in slightly bit extra emphatic approach. I mentioned it in the course of the city corridor. Should you’re in a position bodied, it’s important to work. Should you select to not work. You don’t get free well being care. You don’t get free well being care. Medicaid is the security internet. It’s for the weak, for the developmentally disabled, for the expert care wants of most of our older adults that find yourself at a nursing dwelling. And for pregnant girls. And I believe a whole lot of the misinformation has drummed up some hysteria that I believe must be dispelled.
Inskeep: I wish to ask about the concept that individuals who aren’t eligible are stored off the rolls. That sounds cheap. However on our air, we have heard from Julie Rovner with KFF Well being Information, who’s deeply, deeply versed on this subject. And she instructed us the first approach individuals might be separated from their insurance coverage is elevated paperwork. Everyone has to supply increasingly more proof that they are eligible, even when they’re sick or weak. And I believe everyone knows how paperwork works with insurance coverage firms. They discover a mistake and kick you off. Is that what you are relying on to save cash?
Flood: Properly, that is not what I voted for. If you’re disabled, in case you are persistently mentally in poor health, I do not need it arduous for you to have the ability to entry the packages. And in order implementation unfolds, if there’s tweaks that should be made, then by all means, let’s make it. It isn’t my intent that it’s arduous for them to get or entry the advantages.
Inskeep: However that is the mathematics, proper? I imply, that is how this works now.
Flood: Proper. However I am not nervous about Nebraska’s Medicaid program. You realize, well being take care of all is completely different in California than a medicaid program in Nebraska, the place we’re, in my view, miles forward when it comes to our error charges and the best way we course of this. These are the sorts of issues that must occur.
Inskeep: There’s one other factor you mentioned on the city corridor assembly. You mentioned, we imagine in medical analysis and other people have been upset. Individuals booed. Even at a later level, a constituent mentioned the president unilaterally slashed medical analysis on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and Congress did nothing. Why would Congress do nothing?
Flood: Properly, Congress is doing one thing. We’re going to go a finances. I don’t want a seamless decision. I do not wish to speak about rescissions. I need a finances that may get 60 votes within the Senate. And I need the medical analysis funding included. I need it completed on the College of Nebraska Medical Middle. Clearly, there’s been a row with Harvard and a few of these different high tier universities. However I need the medical analysis. I need it in there. I need America to paved the way right here. And in order that’s why I need a finances.
Inskeep: I perceive. Trying ahead to the finances, however DOGE, the Division of Authorities Effectivity, made all these cuts and it does appear that almost all in Congress did nothing about it.
Flood: Properly, there’s a whole lot of waste, fraud and abuse on the market. Let’s take one factor that DOGE touched, and that is the Nationwide Climate Service. Once I came upon the cuts that have been being made there by way of these retirements, I went to work instantly. And I’ve since been capable of get 500 some jobs reauthorized for the Nationwide Climate Service. There are these of us in Congress which might be working to ensure our authorities runs effectively and we’re not out waving a flag, attempting to name consideration to ourselves. We’re simply merely doing our job. And I want individuals might see that.
Inskeep: A constituent requested you, as they put it, to “reclaim your energy” to set tariffs, import taxes, to take it again from the president. And in response to a commerce court docket, this constituent would appear to be proper as a result of the court docket discovered the president exceeded his energy to set tariffs. Why is it acceptable for the president to take your energy and lift and decrease taxes on an virtually weekly foundation?
Flood: Properly, presidents have had this energy for the higher a part of 50 years. And when President Trump was in workplace the primary time again in 2017, he used these tariffs very successfully to get us good offers with China, Canada and Mexico.
Inskeep: Completely different authorized rationale in 2017. He is utilizing a legislation that hasn’t been used on this approach as far as I do know.
Flood: Properly, it is nonetheless a tariff-driven commerce coverage. I believe there’s a possibility to open some markets right here, and that is how we will develop the financial system in Nebraska.
Inskeep: Does it hassle you in any respect as a conservative that one particular person is elevating and reducing taxes each few days?
Flood: Properly, the best Christmas reward we might have on this nation is to have our commerce partnerships and our commerce insurance policies and every part wrapped up by Christmas time. We’ve to be very secure. We’ve to be very predictable. We’ve one of the best monetary markets on the planet. We’ll have our tax cuts in place. That is the inspiration that we will construct the expansion on. We do not have that proper now, however I am shopping for into it as a result of I need these commerce offers completed. Let’s begin 2026 and let’s go to work.
Inskeep: Can I simply ask total about this city corridor assembly? There was a whole lot of booing. There was a whole lot of shouting. There have been a whole lot of arduous questions. You appear fairly calm the entire time. Do you get pleasure from that?
Flood: Properly, you understand, in my broadcasting days, I beloved it when individuals loved my program. Proper. So it’s not satisfying to see individuals get so upset. I do suppose it is my job to be there and I do suppose that I must mannequin the conduct that I need our authorities to mannequin. And here is one factor. I do not know if I get credit score for it or not, however I do know some individuals that can by no means vote for me come to those issues. I believe it is considerably cathartic for them to have the ability to have the chance to deal with their consultant authorities. And I inform the police earlier than I begin, I do not need anyone drug out of right here. I don’t want anyone eliminated or arrested. I need them to have the ability to say what they should say. This a part of the deal, that is the best way individuals really feel proper now. Let’s allow them to do their factor and maintain going.
