Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Ann Fields

To the Editor:

President Trump in his address to the nation April 1, 2026, stated that prioritizing military spending on the war against Iran will mean less funding for Medicaid and Medicare. Stop! What?

Trump’s war on Iran is financed with our taxes that we have paid. Now he is asking for $1.5 trillion more and, thus, will have to cut Medicaid and Medicare to offset the war expenses. Our military spending will increase 44%, more than any other time except during WWII.

This “war of choice” has raised gas prices, increased fertilizer prices, increased trucking and travel costs, and is putting thousands of lives at risk. Now Trump threatens to cut essential services to the citizens of the U.S.

Trump and his rich Congressmen are not concerned with everyday Iowa citizens and their lives. First, they don’t understand the economic crisis for thousands of Iowans due to inflation and increasing prices.

Second, Trump and his fellow party members don’t understand the critical role that Medicaid and Medicare play in our daily lives.  Health care is a foundation for productive lives. Trump and the Congressional majority refused to reinstate the subsidies for the ACA.  Now, he is threatening to eliminate Medicaid completely. The people on Social Security rely on Medicare for their retirement.

Everyday people (Democrats, Independents, and Republicans) should be aware of the members of Congress who stand behind Trump, because they have enabled Trump to increase the tariffs and engage in this “war of choice.”

Their actions and inactions will mean less Medicaid and Medicare for everyday Iowans, as well as the lives of Iowa soldiers.

Ann Fields
Lansing