{"id":2643235,"date":"2026-08-11T16:07:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-attack-gop-doctor-for-medicaid-cuts-in-tight-iowa-house-race\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T16:14:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:14:07","slug":"dems-attack-gop-doctor-for-medicaid-cuts-in-tight-iowa-house-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-attack-gop-doctor-for-medicaid-cuts-in-tight-iowa-house-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Dems attack GOP doctor for Medicaid cuts in tight Iowa House race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdems-attack-gop-doctor-for-medicaid-cuts-in-tight-iowa-house-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2643235&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Democratic PAC supporting scientists and healthcare professionals is actively challenging Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa&#8217;s highly competitive House district. The group, 314 Action Fund, has spent $750,000 on ads attacking Miller-Meeks for her healthcare policies, especially her support for a Trump-era bill that Democrats say would cut Medicaid funding by $1 trillion. Miller-Meeks, an ophthalmologist elected in 2019, narrowly won her 2024 reelection and faces Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan, who champions a healthcare approach offering choices between Medicare and private insurance. The Democrats criticize Miller-Meeks for accepting important campaign contributions from the health industry and suggest her policies threaten rural hospitals. Meanwhile, the PAC supports Bohannan\u2019s campaign, emphasizing her stance against corruption and healthcare reform ideas that oppose Medicare for All.The political battle reflects broader debates over healthcare policy and campaign funding amid the upcoming 2026 elections, which see increased involvement of healthcare professionals running for office.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Democratic PAC that supports doctors and scientists in elections is attempting to unseat Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4591179\/iowa-congressional-1st-district-primary-miller-meeks\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4591179\">Mariannette Miller-Meeks<\/a> (R-IA) by blaming her for high <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/healthcare\/\" data-type=\"category\" data-id=\"90\">healthcare<\/a> costs in one of the most tightly contested House districts in the country in the November <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11675\">midterm elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4633109\/democrat-scientists-314-action-fund\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4633109\/democrat-scientists-314-action-fund\/\">314 Action Fund<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-sue-to-try-to-disqualify-3-gop-congressmen-from-2022-ballot\/\" title=\"... Sue to Try to Disqualify 3 GOP Congressmen From 2022 Ballot\">left-wing political action committee<\/a> that helps candidates with science backgrounds win federal and state elections, spent $750,000 in a television, digital, and mail advertising attack campaign against Miller-Meeks.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4683315\/314-action-fund-attacks-mariannette-miller-meeks-medicaid-cuts-iowa-house-race\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats attack GOP doctor for cuts to Medicaid in tight Iowa House race<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4683217\/democrats-give-senate-gop-new-midterm-ammo-in-opposing-federal-voter-id\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats give Senate GOP new midterm ammo in opposing federal voter ID<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4683123\/haley-stevens-not-winning-against-progressives-michigan-senate-race\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Haley Stevens says \u2018folks like me\u2019 aren\u2019t winning against progressives<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Miller-Meeks, an ophthalmologist by training who first won office in 2019, secured her reelection in 2024 by fewer than 800 votes. This year, she faces the same challenger, former Democratic state Rep. Christina Bohannan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shaughnessy Naughton, president of 314 Action, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> via email that her organization is investing heavily in the race because \u201cthe path to winning the Democratic majority in Congress runs through Iowa.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a doctor in Congress, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks should be standing up for Iowans on healthcare, but instead she\u2019s sided with insurance companies and Donald Trump,\u201d Naughton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hxepNuEBJbE\">15-second<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=F8KTKd3z5oQ\">30-second <\/a>television and online video ads against Miller-Meeks hone in on her support for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Trump last year, which Democrats denounce as cutting $1 trillion in funding for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/medicare-and-medicaid\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"956\">Medicaid<\/a> health insurance for low-income Americans over the next decade.\u00a0Republicans maintain that the savings are not from spending cuts but rather from reforms that strengthen work requirements and cut down on fraud.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ad also notes that Miller-Meeks, who sits on the GOP Doctors Caucus in the House, has received <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/industries\/summary?code=H04&#038;cycle=All&#038;ind=H04&#038;mem=N&#038;recipdetail=H&#038;t0-search=miller-meeks\">nearly $262,000<\/a> from the pharmaceutical and health industry while in office, according to the campaign finance website Open Secrets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anticipating the Democratic attack line that the spending reductions would imperil rural hospitals, Republicans included a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UnvarnishedGME\/status\/2084646587909750807?s=20\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UnvarnishedGME\/status\/2084646587909750807?s=20\">$50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund<\/a> in the legislation aimed at helping hospitals and health systems improve the quality of care they provide to rural communities. Miller-Meeks played a significant role in that effort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> contacted Miller-Meeks\u2019s office to request comment on the ad and her healthcare policy record.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">314 Action is throwing its support behind Bohannan, an engineer and attorney by training and a former law professor at the University of Iowa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bohannan has a comprehensive healthcare agenda on her campaign website. Unlike more liberal Democrats pushing for a Medicare for All agenda, Bohannan says she does not support \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/bohannanforcongress.com\/priorities\/\">forcing everyone<\/a> onto Medicare\u201d to create a universal healthcare system that eliminates private health insurers. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI want everyone to have health care coverage, and I want everyone to have choices,\u201d Bohanna\u2019s campaign website reads. \u201cI want you to have the choice to have Medicare as your health insurance if you want it, and I want you to have private insurance as an option too.\u201d  <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naughton said via email to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> Miller-Meeks \u201chas betrayed her Hippocratic Oath,<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/industries\/summary?code=H04&#038;cycle=All&#038;ind=H04&#038;mem=N&#038;recipdetail=H&#038;t0-search=miller-meeks\"> taking money<\/a> from Big Pharma and<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.desmoinesregister.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2026\/01\/08\/zach-nunn-us-house-vote-aca-subsidies\/88083249007\/?gnt-cfr=1&#038;gca-cat=p&#038;gca-uir=false&#038;gca-epti=undefined&#038;gca-ft=0&#038;gca-ds=sophi\"> voting<\/a> with Donald Trump to<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/iowaindependentnews.com\/economy\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-cast-votes-to-gut-healthcare-and-support-tariffs\/\"> strip healthcare coverage<\/a> from hundreds of thousands of Iowans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile Christina has spent her entire career working to fight corruption, lower costs and expand healthcare, Rep. Miller-Meeks has spent her career talking out of both sides of her mouth,\u201d Naughton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A multitude of physicians, healthcare professionals, and other scientists are running for office in the 2026 elections, many of whom are Democrats backed by 314 Action. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Dr. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4645748\/annie-andrews-appeals-lindsey-graham-voters-democrat-dreams-flip-south-carolina-seat\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4645748\/annie-andrews-appeals-lindsey-graham-voters-democrat-dreams-flip-south-carolina-seat\/\">Annie Andrews<\/a> is running as a Democrat for Senate in South Carolina against Republican Sen. Darlene Graham Nordone, the sister and successor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Andrews, who has run for office multiple times, launched her campaign earlier this year following a state-wide outbreak of measles among unvaccinated children. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4683123\/haley-stevens-not-winning-against-progressives-michigan-senate-race\/\"><strong>HALEY STEVENS SAYS \u2018FOLKS LIKE ME\u2019 AREN\u2019T WINNING AGAINST PROGRESSIVES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4582768\/amy-acton-runs-medical-debt-forgiveness-ohio-governor\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4582768\/amy-acton-runs-medical-debt-forgiveness-ohio-governor\/\">Amy Acton<\/a>, a former public health official, is also running for governor of Ohio with the help of 314 Action against former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since its first election cycle in 2016, 314 Action has raised<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.314action.org\/news\/press-releases\/memo-a-decade-of-growth-314-actions-record-breaking-investments-reach-100-million-heading-into-2028\/?utm_source=314+Action&#038;utm_campaign=e7c84f3b22-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_08_11_02_00&#038;utm_medium=email&#038;utm_term=0_-e7c84f3b22-548448374\"> more than $100 million<\/a> over the past decade and $25 million this cycle alone. The organization has contributed $14.5 million to Democratic campaigns across the country in the midterm elections so far, its largest primary investment to date.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democratic PAC targets Rep. Miller-Meeks over healthcare costs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2666,"featured_media":2643236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP24192007336684-e1786477496532.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[3685,3728,6203,5626,11975],"class_list":["post-2643235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-democrats","tag-election","tag-gop","tag-iowa","tag-medicaid"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP24192007336684-e1786477496532.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2643235"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2643239,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643235\/revisions\/2643239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2643236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2643235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2643235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2643235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}