By Alex Chen | Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said Wednesday she remains optimistic that common sense will prevail in Congress despite recent primary losses by Republican incumbents who opposed President Donald Trump.
The Iowa senator emphasized the need for Republicans to move forward with key initiatives, including the Senate’s reconciliation package. She previewed a Senate hearing focused on alleged Medicaid fraud tied to home healthcare programs, particularly in Ohio and other states where billions of taxpayer dollars may have been improperly used.
Ernst serves as chair of the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Joining her was Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak, who has reported extensively on what critics describe as widespread abuse of Medicaid-funded home care benefits.
Rosiak warned the system has evolved beyond helping vulnerable Americans and now resembles “a universal basic income that nobody in Congress ever voted on.” According to Rosiak, some individuals bill Medicaid for caring for family members while performing routine household duties such as cooking and cleaning. He noted: “It’s obvious that there are doctors signing off on people who didn’t really need it, and people who are billing for work they didn’t really do.”
Rosiak cited examples from New York, Virginia, and immigrant communities where home healthcare businesses allegedly flourished under lax oversight. He also referenced Virginia Senate Democrat leader Louise Lucas and Somalia’s ambassador to the United Nations as figures connected to Medicaid-related businesses.
Ernst agreed stronger oversight is needed, arguing taxpayer-funded programs are increasingly vulnerable to fraud and abuse. “These are things that need to be scrutinized,” she said. “It shouldn’t be just a universal basic income for folks that are helping out their loved ones. That is a family responsibility.”
The senator said the hearing would also examine allegations that some federal employees ignored or punished whistleblowers who attempted to expose fraud within government programs. “We’ve got so many fraudsters out there that know this system,” Ernst added. “They are finding those loopholes and ways of exploiting others. They are committing fraud against the federal government. They are taking taxpayer dollars.”
Ernst praised Rosiak’s investigative reporting and noted additional whistleblowers from Minnesota would testify before the Senate panel about alleged retaliation for raising concerns about fraud.
