Democratic leaders in Congress reacted this past week to Sen. Joni Ernst’s response to a town hall attendee’s question.

Ernst, R-Iowa, told the attendee who shouted during the recent town hall that people will die as a result of proposed Medicaid funding cuts, that “we all are going to die.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted on social media platform X videos of their respective responses to Ernst’s remark.

Jeffries said in a Wednesday news conference, which he posted a clip of, that “Republican cruelty” shouldn’t be the cause of death for anyone.

“So you have the senator from Iowa say, in response to a question that was heartfelt about people dying prematurely because they’re gonna lose healthcare coverage under the GOP tax scam, that everyone’s gonna die,” Jeffries said, referencing the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” “Yes, Joni. We know — the American people know that at some point in their lives, they are going to pass away. The cause of death should not be Republican cruelty.”

Schumer added in his video that, thanks to Ernst, he’s going to call the bill the “Well, We’re All Going to Die Act.”

Ernst’s comment, which she made while talking about the eligibility of some people for Medicaid benefits, “just shows how callous the Republicans are being with this bill ripping health care away from Americans,” Schumer captioned his video.

Ernst posted a video on Instagram the next day in which she issued a sarcastic apology for her comment, noting she was “really, really glad” she didn’t have to bring up “the subject of the tooth fairy” at the town hall.

“Hello, everyone. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for a statement that I made yesterday at my town hall,” Ernst began. “See, I was in the process of answering a question that had been asked by an audience member when a woman who was extremely distraught screamed out from the back corner of the auditorium, ‘people are going to die,’ and I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth.”

Ernst then said she encourages people who “would like to see eternal and everlasting life” to “embrace my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”

The Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday that 10.9 million people would lose health insurance if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the House, is approved by the Senate and President Donald Trump.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.