A town hall held by Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) in Lincoln, Nebraska on Monday evening quickly devolved into chaos as constituents voiced fierce opposition to new Medicaid cuts – particularly a work requirement for able-bodied adults.

Early in his remarks, Flood sought to justify the policy shift by posing a pointed question to the crowd: “Do you think people who are 28 years old who can work and should refuse to work should get free healthcare?”A surge of attendees repeatedly shouted “yes."

“I don’t think that the majority of Nebraskans agreed with you,” he said.

According to video from ABC journalist Jay O'Brien, those exchanges escalated into chants, heckling and at least two walkouts during the event, held inside a community center auditorium.

New York Times reporter Annie Karni wrote on the social platform X: "I’ve never seen a crowd like this for a town hall for a House member. Line snaking around for blocks for Rep. Flood. Looks like a presidential campaign event."

Guests cited alarm over language in Congress’s recently passed budget bill — widely referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — which would require childless adults between 19 and 64 to work, volunteer, or enroll in school for 80 hours per month to retain Medicaid, a change not currently in effect but scheduled to take partial effect in 2027.

Flood, a frequent defender of the measure, has faced similar backlashat previous town halls, including tense forums in Columbus in March and Seward in May, where boos intensified and other attendees cried out over broader cuts hitting federal benefits such as Social Security, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps).

At the Monday town hall, a constituent challenged the Nebraska Republican over the long‑awaited Jeffrey Epstein documents, demanding, “Why are you covering up the Epstein files?” — a question met with loud applause from the crowd.

“I am for the release of those records," he said.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet