¶ Overview
- Mitchell supported National Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill and even claimed the United States was better off because of it. The same bill that cut health coverage for 17 million Americans, including nearly 12 million Medicaid beneficiaries. More than 26,000 Iowans in the second congressional district were at risk of losing their health coverage as a result of passage of bill.
¶ Mitchell Backed National Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill, Which Cut Health Care For Iowans
¶ Mitchell Backed The Big Beautiful Bill that Cut medicaid for Iowans
1/27/26: Mitchell Claimed The Country Was In A “Better Spot Than We Were A Year Ago” In Part Because Of The Big Beautiful Bill. According to an interview with Joe Mitchell on the Doug Wagner Show, "The Democrats want to talk about this affordability crisis, but they caused it. And we have to remind voters of that, you know, going into the midterms, because that's how it went. We got to talk about the big, beautiful bill. We got to talk about the everything the president's done to help bring down costs, which he’s absolutely done. And so I think that will be his message, you know, today. And, you know, I think he'll talk about, you know, some ag policy as well. But, you know, ultimately the president reminding people, hey, we're in a hell of a lot better spot than we were a year ago." [Doug Wagner Show, 1/27/26] (audio)
2/12/26: Mitchell Predicted The Fall Of 2026 Was Going To Have A “Roaring Economy” Because Of The Big Beautiful Bill. According to an interview with Joe Mitchell on the John Fredericks Show, "Remember, for this year, the tax cuts just set in for 2026, the tax cuts just set in from the big, beautiful bill. And so you have no taxes on overtime. You're no taxes on Social Security. No taxes on tips, of course. And so you have more people taking home their hard earned income. You're going to have interest rates even drop more when you have Kevin Warsh be put in as Fed chair in May. That's my prediction. And then you're going to have the dividend checks go out in the fall. And so I think you're going to have a roaring economy going into fall of 2026." [John Fredericks Show, 2/12/26] (video)
¶ National Republicans’ big beautiful bill was projected to kick 17 million americans off their health coverage, including nearly 12 million off medicaid
HEADLINE: "At Least 17 Million Americans Would Lose Insurance Under Trump Plan" [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
- The Congressional Budget Office Estimated That 11.8 Million People Would Become Uninsured As A Result Of The Medicaid Cuts In Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill. According to the Washington Post, "The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads back to the House, would effectively accomplish what Republicans have long failed to do: unwind many of the key components of the ACA, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which dramatically increased the number of Americans with access to health insurance. To start, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate version of the bill would result in 11.8 million more uninsured in 2034, mostly because of Medicaid cuts, compared with 10.9 million if the House version became law." [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
¶ an estimated 161,000 Iowans in the second congressional district relied on Medicaid or CHIP for health insurance
2023: 161,000 Iowans In The 2nd Congressional District Were Enrolled In Medicaid Or CHIP. According to the Center for American Progress,
[Center for American Progress, 3/11/25]
¶ 2021: mitchell had previously defended cuts to mental health and disability services in the iowa legislature
2021: Mitchell Defended Cuts To Mental Health And Disability Services In Southeast Iowa. According to the Southeast Iowa Union, "The new funding plan means less dollars for mental health services while demand for those services is growing. SEIL is a mental health and disability services region that serves Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Van Buren and Washington counties. SEIL was created in 2014 when the state mandated counties to partner with each other to form regional authorities to provide mental health and disability services. Before that, each county funded its own services. Since its inception, SEIL, along with other similar regions across Iowa, has been funded through property tax levies. Earlier this year, the Iowa Legislature passed — and the governor signed — a bill changing the funding from property tax levies to state appropriations to the regions. Mitchell defended the new plan. ‘The state General Fund will be a more efficient way of distributing these dollars,’ Mitchell said." [Southeast Iowa Union, 7/6/21]