Republican Town Hall Erupts After Damning Confession on Budget Bill
Nebraska Representative Mike Flood was booed relentlessly at his own town hall Tuesday as he admitted to a roomful of constituents that he had simply not read some parts of Trump’s big, beautiful budget bill.
“Can you please tell us why you voted to approve a budget bill that includes section 703-02, which effectively prohibits federal courts from enforcing contempt orders … which would then allow current and future administrations to ignore those contempt orders by removing the enforcement capabilities?” one attendee asked Flood.
The question is in reference to a deeply biased provision that the GOP slipped in the budget bill to protect President Trump from being held accountable by court orders. Additionally, anyone seeking to file an injunction or restraining order—two things the courts have already levied against the Trump administration numerous times—would be forced to put up a financial bond.
“I do not agree with that section that was added to that bill,” Flood responded, and was booed immediately.
“You voted for all of it!” someone shouted.
“I will tell you this. I believe in the rule of law.… I do believe that the federal district courts, when issuing an injunction, it should have legal effect. In fact I relied upon that when the Biden administration was in place,” Flood responded. Then he confessed: “This provision was unknown to me when I voted for the bill. I am not gonna hide the truth.… We must allow our federal courts to operate and issue injunctions.”
The crowd roared with hostility and disbelief toward their congressman as he admitted that he skipped over reading the entire bill before he voted for it.
Flood was also hit with questions on Medicaid. Trump previously claimed that the party wouldn’t touch it, before it was slashed in the budget bill.
“I was talking to the Nebraska Hospital Association almost every single day … to find out how this would affect Medicaid patients in Nebraska,” Flood continued. “I know that the bill is not perfect, but I believe that in crafting this bill, even a president that maybe most of you disagree with, strictly said … ‘Do not cut Medicaid.’” More jeers erupted. “That doesn’t mean we don’t address waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Trump’s budget bill is expected to leave 13.7 million people without health insurance by 2034, while giving tax cuts to the wealthiest. Flood went on to defend his support of renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, while chants of “You lie!” rained down on him.
This is yet another installment in the GOP’s string of nightmare town halls, as its constituents grow more and more frustrated with the actions of the man—and the party—that they voted for.