Rural Hospitals Are Closing and Iowa's Had Enough

[00:00:00]I think that this comes down to uh the right candidate and I know that there is a me coming from uh you know working-class family, working-class community, all the adversity I've gone through and all the work that I did uh of dragging my wheelchair upstairs to be able to to win and me be able to to to speak to people and say, "Look, I understand what you're feeling. I've been there, too, and this is why I want to get there." Uh that's really resonating uh with with people. And and I think that my message, you know, this this common sense prairie populist message of focusing on laser focused not on the culture war issues, but being laser focused on cost, corruption, kitchen table issues. I'm going out there and I'm talking about the need for a livable wage, for affordable housing, for affordable healthcare, pharmaceuticals, drinkable water, and addressing corruption. These are issues that resonate with people. And I hear over and over and over. I heard it in my community, a red community that I represent of people saying, Josh, I'm not going to vote for every Democrat, but I like your kind of Democrat. That common sense pray populism is the way that we're going to be able to win. And if we're going to win in states like Iowa, I think us as a party, we have got to be clear that we are the party of the people, the party of the workers, the party of the middle class. That's the way forward.

[00:01:11]>> I love that.

[00:01:12]>> Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battleh hardened. There is not a liberal America and a conservative America. There is the United States of America.

[00:01:26]>> Good night and good luck. Hey everybody, welcome back to the Lincoln Project podcast. I am your host as always, Rick Wilson. I want to thank you guys for listening and watching. As always, do me a big favor so we can all feed the algorithmic god. Click on that like and subscribe and f like, subscribe, and follow button and we will uh we'll be able to get this content out to more and more folks. Um, folks, one of the things that the Lincoln Project we're very excited about this year is the great state of Iowa. Iowa is always sort of a a bell weather in our politics in this country and with with with a year that looks so much more competitive than anybody could have hoped for. One of the brightest stars coming out of Iowa right now is Josh Turk. He is the nominee for United States Senate uh for the Democratic Party in the great state of Iowa. And I am thrilled to have him on the podcast today. Josh, welcome to the show. Uh, first off, and secondly, how's it feel?

[00:02:20]>> Well, thank you for having me. I'm uh I'm grateful to be here. It uh you know, was 10 months of of hard work traveling all around the state. uh so many events that we did, meeting people from from all over urban areas, rural areas, uh hearing their stories, hearing how so many people are hurting and struggling, uh farmers being decimated, uh you know, leading the nation in farm foreclosures, people struggling with their healthcare, struggle to just keep food on the table and and a roof above their head. Uh but after 10 months uh our message of common sense prairie populism, it uh it really connected with people and I was grateful and and it's it's been it's been a whirlwind. Not going to lie about that.

[00:03:00]It's it's been uh it's been a lot of work and um but it's uh it's feeling good and really this honestly this is this is about a a once in a generation opportunity we've got here in Iowa to make a generational change to our state.

[00:03:12]And if we can win here this US Senate seat, I think we're looking at making a generational change to our country. And that's exciting.

[00:03:19]>> You know, I think that's exactly right.

[00:03:21]You know, Iowa has been hit sort of right in the face with the damage done by the tariffs to farmers and to businesses and the damage done by this insane war in Iran uh in terms of driving up the fuel prices and fertilizer prices for farmers. And and you know, as most folks know, Iowa is a largely agricultural state, but even the metro areas of Iowa are deeply in affected by what happens in in in in the a sector.

[00:03:48]>> Net income for Iowa farmers is expected to fall 24% compared to this year. So that's a total of $3 billion.

[00:03:57]>> This is not just a temporary blip. This is not something that farmers can work around. No one anticipated that we would have a shock to the system.

[00:04:07]>> Our farmers are reporting that the between higher costs and lower prices for what we grow, uh, that they're having very difficult conversations with their bankers trying to figure out how to finance a crop put in the ground this spring.

[00:04:22]>> So, I want to talk to you a little bit about um, as you mentioned, there's record farm bankruptcies. This is something that is clearly very much on the minds of Iowa voters. And do do you feel like your Republican opponent in this actually gets it? Because the the damage that's being done uh to these folks is is just cataclysmic.

[00:04:42]>> Uh no. It seems like Ashley Henson doesn't have any fundamental understanding of agricultural issues.

[00:04:48]>> There were plenty of booze as Congresswoman Ashley Henson hosted a town hall meeting.

[00:04:52]>> Representative Hinson got plenty of push back from the committee today. One of the biggest ones tariffs.

[00:04:57]>> All these companies face rising costs.

[00:04:59]Hson says businesses should be able to navigate higher costs.

[00:05:03]>> Put more of your money back into your business.

[00:05:05]>> She says she's encouraged >> another heated town hall in Iowa.

[00:05:08]>> The national corn growers have expressed concern.

[00:05:12]>> Says equipment he buys from Italy is getting more expensive. River City Logistics is worried about his company's bottom line.

[00:05:19]>> Iowa farmers are speaking up about their worries.

[00:05:26]They're making it seem like farmers have never had it better. Uh she voted four times in favor of the tariffs that have absolutely decimated these communities.

[00:05:35]I mean, it's what I'm calling a farmageddon. It is a second farm crisis.

[00:05:38]>> We now lead the nation in farm foreclosures. You've got farm suicide rates uh that are skyrocketing. Our our farmers are hurting and it's because of the tariffs. And the words that we hear the most when we're in the rural communities is is is people telling us uh this is betrayal. Uh Trump administration gives 20 million 20 billion dollars to Argentina. Meanwhile, our Iowa soybean farmers are upside down with the commodities prices. But this is also bad federal policy and and a lot of bad votes. Uh you you look at we've done nothing on right to repair. We've done nothing to uh address vertical integration in the monopolies that have driven up input prices and fertilizer prices. for farmers. Uh we haven't passed a farm bill. I mean, we're nearly three years overdue on passing uh a farm bill. And as you said, Ians are already paying a very, very heavy price for this conflict in Iran. Uh we've already had three Ians that have lost their life in the conflict. Uh it is driving up the cost of fuel, uh the cost of diesel, which is really disproportionately >> hurting our farmers and our agricultural industry.

[00:06:43]And uh it's uh it really is it's it's leading to this kind of what I'm calling a a farmageddon and farmers are hurting and I think the tariffs have have hurt Ians and Iowa and our agriculture industry more than any other state and uh the Trump signs and the Trump uh flags they are coming down all over but particularly in these rural communities where they have been hollowed out.

[00:07:07]>> You know I'm seeing that I live in a pretty agricultural region of Florida.

[00:07:10]my family's in agriculture. Um, and and there is a real sense that of betrayal. I think it's universal now among a lot of farmers that that betrayal um that he has just absolutely wrecked their business model in every conceivable way. I mean, farms are always, you know, a a boom and bust. You know, it's always a roll of the dice because the weather and every a million other things can affect it. But it's like the guys in Washington just don't give a damn. And so you're seeing these agricultural communities uh in Iowa and beyond. And you you you're seeing it really at ground zero. I mean in Iowa, it's taking the worst of the worst hits.

[00:07:50]>> And it's and it's beyond just the just the tariffs as well. Uh you go into these rural communities and it looks like a vacuum's gone through there. Uh the the small businesses have been decimated because we've just, you know, the Trump administration and people like Ashley Henson have just looked out for the large multinational corporations and the billionaires. Uh but additionally, these are communities where they've lost their pharmacies uh because we've done nothing on on PBM reform.

[00:08:14]>> Treyer, Iowa, a town with less than 2,000 people lost their only pharmacy, leaving residents to drive about 45 minutes to pick up their prescriptions.

[00:08:22]We were given very little notice about a week ago that this new care location was going to close. The impact for our community is is tremendous. We have had pharmacy services here in this community for over 50 years.

[00:08:39]>> Uh they've lost their grocery stores that the only option that they may end up having is a is a case gas station oftent times.

[00:08:45]>> And the only grocery store in the town of Manona in northeast Iowa will be closing permanently at the end of this week. Manona is just the latest small town to lose its grocery store in recent years. Well, our hope is maybe somehow faith of God that we can figure out a way to reopen it or get it back up and running.

[00:09:05]>> The next closest option for fresh food is in Prairie Dashene in Wisconsin.

[00:09:10]That's more than 15 miles away.

[00:09:12]>> And then in Iowa, we're we're a state with a a healthcare crisis. You've got two in five Ians in the rural communities that are on Medicaid. So these Medicaid cuts and these ACA cuts have disproportionately hurt our our rural communities. We've closed 250 more healthcare clinics than we've opened here in Iowa in the last 15 years. It has absolutely decimated folks.

[00:09:32]>> You know, and one of the things you've talked about is is the rural healthcare problem, the rural health care crisis that you're just mentioning.

[00:09:39]Hospitals closing around the around the country in rural areas in Iowa in particular has been a I mean that is a crisis that is going to cost lives at a level that that I think the people in DC are not are not paying attention to.

[00:09:51]>> Absolutely. and Ashley Henson voted for the big beautiful bill. That's 110,000 Ians that are looking at losing their health care outright. Thousands more losing basic food assistance just to give tax breaks to billionaires. Uh she voted for uh you know to to not continue the ACA subsidies. That's 119,000 Ians uh looking at their healthcare premiums doubling and tripling as we've been traveling the state. We've heard horrific stories of individuals seeing their premiums go up four, five, sixfold. And then now we're closing public schools because we're giving private schools public money here in Iowa. So we've closed 18 rule schools.

[00:10:27]And it's just been over and over and over, one gut punch after another because of bad federal policy. And Iowa farmers are waking up and they're saying we need change and we need a genuine populace that's going to go out there and fight for us. Fight for the small family farmers. Fight for our rural communities. And that's what this campaign is about. You know, I think that's really an important point that you make is that that that there is a there is a populist tradition in Iowa and throughout the Midwest that has been sort of co-opted by the populism of the culture war class of of Republicans. But at some point, you run out of money to be able to have the luxury of time to play those culture war games because all these folks are under maximal stress.

[00:11:09]There's no golden age for these folks right now. By the way, I love one of the things you're talking about. It's it's nerdy as hell for me and for a lot of us, but right to repair is absolutely a huge deal with farmers. I I was talking to one of my cousins recently, and he's like, "No, no, I'm offline today because I can't get the software update on a piece of equipment that I had to buy from John Deere to program a piece of equipment that I bought from John Deere for a million dollars and it won't work and I can't get a human being on the phone."

[00:11:40]>> Yeah. And could he have fixed the problem himself if he if it was a if it was if he if it wasn't for right to repair? He could if he if he had the right to repair. That that's the sort of thing I think people don't understand that that the big industrial equipment manufacturers and agricultural equipment manufacturers folks they now literally make it so that you can't fix your own device. You can't go out there something breaks and put a new one on. You have to use their team, their software, their people, their materials. Everything has to be vertically integrated through through John Deere and God bless they're a storied company but man they are they are putting a hurt on farmers >> without a doubt in in the Iowa legislature uh I sponsored a bill in lie of any action at the federal level which is where it actually should be taking place that we are going to address this at the at the state level. Uh we actually were able to get that bipartisanly uh passed through the Iowa House. Unfortunately it died in the Senate. And then on right to repair for mobility device, what a lot of people don't realize because not a whole lot of representation from the disabled population in government, unfortunately, all levels of government, is there was a there was a real barrier for individuals just to be able to get their their wheelchair repaired or their power wheelchair repaired. It was requiring individuals to uh do a face-to-face doctor visit, which you can imagine just the difficulty of me getting face to face with anyone if my wheelchair was broken. it was requiring a prescription and then a prior authorization. So, we were delaying individuals weeks or months. Uh meanwhile, they're just stuck in their house because they have no mobility device. Thankfully because of the work that I was able to do on that issue on right to repair for mobility devices uh we removed the need for a face-to-face doctor visit and also a prescription which is why representation is so uh you know desperately needed and important because you know for for that issue to you that might make a big difference but to this group of individuals that need it it's a world of difference.

[00:13:32]>> Sure. You know one of the things about Iowa and you pointed out you're not you're not open there's no healthcare clinics opening these days in Iowa.

[00:13:37]There's no rural hospitals opening in Iowa. they are closing and it it seems like a almost like a penser movement against the people in Iowa. It is an older population. it is a rural population and so the increase in the price of health insurance because of the end of the subsidies on on on American uh uh coverage ACA coverage um and the and the the increased consolidation of of hospital chains and medical firms uh the the rolling of private equity to buy up doctor's practices and and and clinic practices and and specialty practices.

[00:14:12]It seems like Iowa is going to get caught in the wedge harder than almost most states on that.

[00:14:17]>> Yeah, we already are. We've already got a healthc care crisis. As I said, we're uh the only state with a growing cancer rate, number two behind uh Kentucky, largely driven by uh a water quality crisis, which we also need to address both at the state and the federal level.

[00:14:30]>> Uh but yes, is is this is an issue where um I have been very really vocal that we need to drive private equity both out of housing and out of healthcare. We need to put guard rails on insurance companies. Uh I'll tell you a story that you know talking about the cancer rates.

[00:14:45]Uh my sister was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer nearly the day that I launched my campaign and her private insurance basically said to her, "Sorry, because you only have stage two, not stage three or stage four. We won't quote the PET scan to see if the cancer spread to other parts of your body." I want to put guard rails on insurance companies because doctors should be deciding care, not insurance companies.

[00:15:06]Yeah. And we need a we need a full >> I think that used to be the Republican position until they became like completely flips flipped like like everything else they flipped over to let's let's pick the most evil option.

[00:15:18]>> Yeah. And and and you've got somebody like Ashley Henson that uh owns five up to $5 million in insurance stock even though she said that she was uh going to sell her stock and she's taken hundreds of thousands millions of dollars in in in pack money. I'm not t of corporate pack money. I'm not taking a nickel of corporate pack money. And she's taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from the insurance industry and from the pharmaceutical industry. This is one of the reasons why we can't get things done like negotiated drug cost and caps on things like insulin. And yeah, Ians are hurting disproportionately on this. You go and talk to these rural healthcare clinics and they will tell you that uh Medicaid is their lifeblood. Two in five Ians in the rural communities are on Medicaid. And so when you're making ACA cuts, when you're making uh Medicaid cuts, what does that lead to? less services, less supports, less providers.

[00:16:06]You look at OBGYNS, Iowa now, we are dead last for OBGYNS. Three OBGYNS for every 10,000 Ians. Jesus, it's horrific what we're seeing. And it's the most vulnerable that are being affected. We privatized our Medicaid system. It led to a,000% increase in denial rate for literally the most vulnerable individuals with disabilities. Because the privatization, we're now looking at 27,000 disabled Ians that are on Medicaid weight list. The longest wait list right now is up to 9 years for care. Can you imagine if that's your kid or your family member? You're waiting 9 years for basic care. It's horrible. Which is why we need more individuals like myself that have lived gone through real world adversity.

[00:16:46]>> You have personally been through these kinds of experiences.

[00:16:49]>> That's right. I mean, I I didn't win the genetic lottery. Uh, I come from a working-class family, a working-class community. Uh, in my family, we went to the Goodwill for clothes, we shared clothes, we went to the free summer lunch programs, had the wrong color lunch tickets. Uh, I've been there. I've felt that economic struggle that so many are going through. And I was born with my disability. I was born with a condition called spinoipida due to my father's exposure to Asian orange in Vietnam. I had my first surgery at one day old. I had 21 surgeries before I was 12. And in my time both personally and also in my work in nonprofit and for-profit for individual with disabilities, I've seen far too many individuals that have had to declare medical bankruptcy or divorce or spouse just to have access to care. And I believe that healthcare is a human right.

[00:17:32]>> Well, you know, one thing I think about your campaign that I that I find fascinating about your campaign is that you were out there talking in a very granular, detailed way about the things that are directly affecting people's lives. Do you find that that's helping you penetrate into more folks that might not be as receptive to a Democratic candidate in the in the rural areas of Iowa?

[00:17:53]>> Yes, without a w without a doubt. Um, I I I think that that this comes down to uh the right candidate, and I know that there's a me coming from uh, you know, working-class family, working-class community, all the adversity I've gone through and all the work that I did uh, of dragging my wheelchair upstairs to be able to to win and me be able to to to speak to people and say, "Look, I understand what you're feeling. I've been there, too, and this is why I want to get there." Uh, that's really resonating uh, wi with people. And and I think that my message, you know, this this common sense prairie populist message of focusing on laser focused not on the culture war issues, but being laser focused on cost, corruption, kitchen table issues. I'm going out there and I'm talking about the need for a livable wage, for affordable housing, for affordable health care, pharmaceuticals, drinkable water, and addressing corruption. These are issues that resonate with people. And I hear over and over and over. I heard it in my community, a red community that I represent of people saying, Josh, I'm not going to vote for every Democrat, but I like your kind of Democrat. That common sense prairie populism is the way that we're going to be able to win. And if we're going to win in states like Iowa, I think us as a party, we have got to be clear that we are the party of the people, the party of the workers, the party of the middle class. That's the way forward.

[00:19:08]>> I love that. Well, listen, Josh Turk, I want to thank you so much for coming on the show. Tell people where they can find out more about your campaign.

[00:19:15]>> Absolutely. You can find us at Turk for Iowa. That's turk the number4ia.com.

[00:19:20]Uh please whatever you can chip in $5, $10, $20, we got a once in a generation opportunity here in Iowa to be able to win this US Senate seat. And if we can win here in Iowa, uh we not only change the state of Iowa for a generation. We will fundamentally change this country and that should be exciting to all of us.

[00:19:39]>> Well, Josh, thank you again for coming on the Lincoln Project podcast. Really appreciate it. Best of luck to you.

[00:19:43]We'll have you back again before the uh before the election. Rick, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.

[00:19:48]>> All right. Thanks so much. We'll see you soon. Today from Colorado District 8, Manny Rutnell is joining us and he is one of the most exciting candidates in this in the in this series that that we're going to have on because he is from a vital district in Colorado 8 is absolutely the swingiest of swing seats.

[00:20:05]>> National attention is now growing on Colorado's eighth congressional district race. Democrat Manny Rutnell versus the Republican incumbent Gabe Evans. Now, this is considered among the most competitive races in the country and certainly one of the most closely watched. And now the DC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has chosen Rutnell as one of the 44 candidates it is backing for its red toblue campaign to flip Republican seats to Democrat. Like I said, it was basically a 50/50 shot with the the last congressional race. Trump and Bid or Trump and Harris were about 50/50 in the district. Manny, I I also want to say you've got an amazing story to tell, but talk to us first before we start um about Colorado District 8. Tell us where it is, um why it's so evenly split, and and give us a picture of where you're coming from in that district.

[00:20:59]>> First off, Rick, thanks so much for having me here. I really appreciate it.

[00:21:02]And like you said, Colorado's District 8 is one of the most competitive races in the entire country. In fact, it was drawn for its competitive nature after the 2020 census. It was drawn to basically be an even district so that you know as a result of that independent redistricting commission, there would be a level of um >> parody among the the different political parties.

[00:21:27]>> Uh but the district is full of some of the best people in the world. They are hardworking. It's 40% Latino. uh the most Latino district in the state, one of the most Latino districts in the entire country. Uh it is workingass. It is uh full of uh diversity and vibrancy.

[00:21:47]And unfortunately, right now, it's represented by a member of Congress who is not interested in fighting for them and is instead interested in doing whatever Trump wants. He he is he is definitely uh and folks the Republican incumbent is a guy named Gabe Evans who and Manny I'm sure you can tell us more about this but from what I've observed Gabe is one of those guys who in DC is like yes sir Mr. Trump what would you like me to do and at home he's like well I'm a moderate I'm not I'm not I'm not one of those guys but he is one of those he still votes with Trump something like 97% of the time. So, uh, have people started to notice that in the district that there's a sort of, um, uh, you know, he's one of these guys who's faking it?

[00:22:28]>> I mean, time and time again, I mean, folks, um, have been doing these in-person town halls, >> uh, that Gabe Evans refuses to go to because he's so terrified of his own constituents. And, uh, you know, some of them have come up to me and they said, "In the last election, I voted for Donald Trump and Gabe Evans, and in this coming election, I'll be voting for you, Manny. And that's because I feel like I've been lied to." You know, Donald Trump and Gabe Evans said they were going to go after health care costs and instead they have gutted Medicaid and the affordability affordable care act which is going to dramatically increase health care costs for working families across the district. They said they were going to go after and give us better jobs and instead the unemployment rate is going up. They are putting up tariff wars against the entire world, uniting both our allies and our enemies against us. Time and time again, Gabe Evans has lied and voted against the interests of our constituents and his days in Congress are numbered.

[00:23:25]>> So, Manny, tell us a little bit about your story, your background because it is a tremendous story and and it's one of those things where you read your resume, you read your your story, and you're like, I I want to know this guy.

[00:23:36]You came up from you came up from nothing. Talk to us about your story and your journey.

[00:23:41]>> Thanks, Rick. Yeah, I mean as you mentioned uh I am um someone who has experienced a lot of working-class struggles throughout my life. You know when when a lot of politicians they talk about affordability uh they they're talking about it because they read it in a white paper somewhere. I lived it personally. Uh this is a personal fight for me. And you know, I've been talking about those in-person town halls that I've been attending uh in in Gab's place, and people come up to me and once they hear about my personal story and the momentum of our campaign, they say, "You know, Manny, you must be Donald Trump's and Gabe Evans's worst nightmare." And I'm the son of a a single mother who immigrated to America in search of that American dream. And we struggled even though we worked hard every single day for this country. I remember being about 10 years old the first time that I filled out a food stamp application and a Medicaid application and uh I was, you know, started working at McDonald's for a few years. I was a tutor. I've got this scar on my arm because I sold my blood at a plasma center over a hundred times just to be able to make ends meet. And that first semester of college when I went, I had to sleep on my friends floors and couches just to be able to make ends meet. But then eventually I I graduated uh became an economist with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Uh got my masters in economics. Uh and then eventually I I got started getting calls back from law schools. And my mom doesn't always like this part of the story, but I'm going to tell you anyways. But I started getting calls back from law schools and I said, "Mommy, mommy, I just got into Yale."

[00:25:23]And she goes, "You just got into jail?"

[00:25:27]Because that's the sort of background I come from. It's the sort of background of so many folks across this district who are workingclass folks, Latino folks who are just trying to get ahead. And you know, like I said, the tides are turning and folks are realizing the lies of the Trump administration. And that's why since we launched this campaign, we've been able to raise $2.5 million from over 43,000 individual donors who went to manny forcol.com and donated an average of 206.

[00:25:56]>> And so this is a grassroots campaign.

[00:25:58]We're not taking any corporate pack money. We're fighting on behalf of working people across this district and across the country who desperately need uh better leadership in Congress.

[00:26:08]>> You know, you you were the part of that that American story of hard work and opportunity. You went to University of Florida Go Gators.

[00:26:16]I was there in my first year of college.

[00:26:18]>> Uh and and you know, you you you know went to you you've lived that dream of the meritocracy where you came from a background where hard work mattered and and service mattered. And so that that shaped your career. you went in you you again you served with the uh as a as a economist for US Army Corps of Engineers which is a enormously complex undertaking um and now you know you've been a volunteer you've been engaged in your community at at every level and I think that contrast with your story uh especially because the economic pain people are feeling in Colorado 8 and elsewhere I think it's I think it's got a you've got a really good story to tell and you ought to keep keep leaning in on that. So, what is your what is your what is your path to victory there? How are you going to outco compete the Republican media and money machine?

[00:27:11]They're going to come at you with all the culture war garbage. They're going to come at you uh they have to hold this seat. This is a absolutely do or die seat for them. So, what are you what are you expecting from them and what's your plan to push back on them?

[00:27:26]>> Yeah. Well, I think Gabe Evans is fully counting on Mike Johnson and the billionaire dark money machinery to come in to rescue him.

[00:27:36]>> Uh because he has sold his vote to his billionaire donors. It's straightforward as that.

[00:27:41]>> Yep.

[00:27:42]>> Um my path to victory is is fairly straightforward. Uh part of it is highlighting my story. This is a district full of Latinos, working-class folks who are trying to get ahead and just can't because often the system is rigged against them. And for me, like I said, like when I talk about affordability, when I talk about poverty, when I talk about good jobs, >> it's personal for me. I lived it. I'm not talking about it because I just read it in some way.

[00:28:08]>> It's not academic for you.

[00:28:10]>> It's not academic. It's it's I feel it in my bones and in my blood. It's it's something that I am so deeply passionate about and have been for my entire life, pinching pennies and finding ways to make things more affordable. Now I have the opportunity as a policy maker to bring that affordability uh at the state legislature in Colorado. And that's what I've done and that's what I hope to do once I'm in in Congress. And the path to victory for me is highlighting the harms that Gabe Evans is doing. Just yesterday, he voted again to gut the Affordable Care Act, to take away healthcare credits. And I did the research, and in our district, health care costs for a family of four will now go from in 2025 costing $500 to in 2026 costing $2,000 a month. Can you imagine health care costs quadrupling overnight? It is unthinkable. Well, they they they unfortunately they can't imagine it in the Republican majority right now because they have this has been their their white whale for 20 years to take this out to take out the ACA. and and even though some of the more moderate Republicans have broken with Mike Johnson on it, Gabe has stuck with him and he has said, you know, I'm I'm I'm going to ride this down to the end with you, boss, which I find just astounding because your district does have a fairly high uptake of ACA um uh uh users. It does have a fairly high percentage. I read this the other day when I was prepping that that there are a very large number of folks who depend on this and and what I think a lot of other people who don't depend on it will will will soon learn is that the lower ACA costs helped drive down other insurance prices in the private sector and so folks who aren't on ACA are going to be paying more as well which I think is a message that that the Republicans have got to be very afraid of in that in that district.

[00:30:05]>> Yeah. I mean, it's terrifying. It's it's, you know, it doesn't take an economist uh to to realize that this is destroying our economic systems, destroying the livelihoods of so many healthare workers, and destroying the ability for working people to access health care. Because of that, they'll go sick, they will die because of this these disastrous policies. Uh but like I said, like our message is getting out there. Uh in just the last six months, we've gotten over 40 million views across social media platforms, all organically. Uh and that's led to a bunch of volunteers. We got about almost a thousand volunteers that have signed up, like I mentioned before.

[00:30:45]>> Wow. For a congressional campaign, a thousand volunteers is remarkable.

[00:30:50]>> It's remarkable. And it it's it it stands it it shows just how much and how important our message is to the folks in this district and across the country.

[00:31:01]Like I said, 44,000 individual donors.

[00:31:03]That's hard. It's hard to imagine just how many donors that is for a congressional race in a primary. Uh but we are um we are on track here to flipping this seat from red to blue and putting a stop to some of the horrors of the Trump administration. that additional opportunity for folks not only to elect somebody who understands them and who gets them, but somebody who is going to hold this administration accountable um I think is something that is a is a powerful uh argument for a lot of voters this year and a lot of independent voters. you know, independent voters, and we actually study your district as one of the one of the swings in the country. And independent voters are now about two to one against invading Venezuela, about two to one against ending ACA, about two to one against basically the entire Trump economic plan of tariffs and and billionaire tax cuts, all that stuff.

[00:31:55]>> You can't get to record high disapproval with just members of the other party not liking you. So, how do you get there?

[00:32:04]Who are the people dragging down the president's approval ratings?

[00:32:07]>> Who are the people who are dragging down President Trump's approval rating? We are talking about a very important block for the president of the United States.

[00:32:14]That is Republican leaning independents.

[00:32:16]That is what's going on. Take a look here. This is the difference. Trump's approval rating at this point of terms.

[00:32:21]Independents who lean Republican versus those who are just Republicans only.

[00:32:25]Look at this among independents who lean Republican. Back in term number one, he was at 73% at this point in term. Down he goes. An absolute collapse now just 53%.

[00:32:35]This is a very brief period to drop that much among a group that is part of frankly your your essential coalition there. So what does this tell us? What does this group think of of maybe the congressional elections coming up in 6 months?

[00:32:48]>> Yeah. Okay. So you see this 38 point drop here and you're a Republican member of Congress say, "Oh my god, I hope this doesn't affect me because if it does, a lot of those swing district congressional members right on the Republican side will be waving adios, amigos, goodbye." As somebody who's going to go to Washington, I mean, obviously your district comes first, but there are also accountability functions you can do. Um, and I I would I would, you know, I'd be I'd be as an attorney, I think you you can play a very valuable role in that, especially on things like ICE and their abuses, on the corruption around this administration, on on on the illegalities of this administration in terms of overreach on executive power, etc. What kind of what kind of committees are you interested in serving on if you make it to Washington?

[00:33:32]>> Yeah. I mean, first off, when I talk to working people across the district, they are horrified of the illegalities of the Trump administration, the cruelty, the corruption. And again, it goes back to just the lies. It's just incessant.

[00:33:47]They're trying to pin us into submission just by consistently lying, and they they they feel like we're not going to be able to catch them directly uh in their lives. And it's how dumb do they think that we are? It is unimaginable.

[00:34:02]Uh, you know, in terms of committees, I'm I'm looking into uh many of them. We have a lot of agriculture in this district. Um, we got energy in this district and uh I'm looking to be on the district in the committee that will allow me to lower costs uh for my constituents, that's my top priority.

[00:34:19]And so, whatever uh committee allows me to do that, uh that's that's where I'll be. I think that's an interesting point to make too is that there's not a single Republican member of Congress who thinks of themsel in the morning, wakes up and said, and I guarantee you, Gabe does not wake up in the morning and go, I represent the eth district. He represents Donald Trump. They represent Donald Trump. They do not care about people at home. That that's just an inconvenience now. That's just a a a detail for them. So, I do think that's a that's a good answer and a good good approach to it. you know, whatever is going to help the people of the district most and and you do have a lot of a stuff there that has been hit hard by tariffs to my understanding. And that's something I think that that >> allows you as a Democrat to talk to more conservativeleaning rural and farm uh voters because they're really angry about it. The the culture war ain't paying their bills.

[00:35:16]>> That's really well put. Yeah. I mean, what the Trump administration has tried to do is divide us by pointing the finger to marginalized groups. Uh, you know, it's it's always the uh this kid over here or the single mom over there.

[00:35:30]Uh when I think we know that the real minority group that's destroying uh so much of our systems are are Trump's uh the Trump administration and his billionaire buddies that that want to control every bit of us. Uh and and it is uh it is about time that we put a stop to it.

[00:35:48]>> Yeah. And and as a district that is that is also um very strongly Hispanic 30 38 point something percent right close to 40%.

[00:36:00]>> Um you were in a place I think where where the entrepreneurial nature of folks who have immigrated here is always ignored by this administration and by the by the the MAGA movement.

[00:36:13]They treat everybody um that that doesn't have a Germanic surname as a criminal. M >> even folks who have been here legally, even folks who are citizens now, I think there's a real space of opportunity there for you to to to talk to them not only about immigration, but about like how they and how you are quite clearly the products of the American dream of people coming to this country, busting their asses, and making it and and and and you know, seeing that success that hard work brings. And I think that's a a narrative that you that I I've seen a lot in your story so far. But I think that you know I I think Democrats if they one note it just on immigration stuff with Hispanics, they're going to lose Hispanics because Trump didn't win Hispanic men last time but in record numbers because he was talking about immigration. He did it because it was a better cultural fit that they sold over Harris, you know, on sports and work and all that stuff. So, I think you've got a chance to get in there with those people that that maybe didn't exist even two years ago.

[00:37:21]>> Yeah. I mean, I think um it's it's it's important that I'm bilingual, of course, but it's important also that I'm bicultural. I just understand, right, >> the culture and the people and their interests, and they're unique. you know, they as we've seen now, a lot of them are trending towards the Republican party. And the Republican party is putting up Latinos uh as candidates and as as potential members of Congress to try to u you know take some of those Latino voters away from the Democratic party. And I think this is the moment for the Democratic Party to make sure that we're talking directly to Latinos with Latino candidates in ways that they understand, not just in their native tongue, but in the ways that they understand their culture. And that's what I hope to do in this race.

[00:38:04]>> Yeah, I think that cultural fit is a really vital a vital importance um when you do this because nothing nothing on a policy paper is going to sell people on you better than a feeling that you know them and you care about them and you you're of them and from them and get them.

[00:38:23]So, let me ask you a question about your your this enormous army of volunteers that you have because folks, just so you know, I I've worked in the last 35 years on probably, I don't know, 50 congressional races. If you have a dozen volunteers in a congressional race, you're like living high. If you have a dozen people that are willing to go out and put up yards, you're like, "Yeah, you that's an astounding number. How are you putting those folks to work?"

[00:38:50]>> Yeah. So in Colorado, um we plan to use them um to go doortodoor right now to gather uh uh petitions and volunteer requests from so many of the neighborhoods here that have a lot of Democrats that are just absolutely furious at what they're seeing and they want to know how they can put their energy to to good use. And so, >> uh, we've got volunteers that are both in the district and outside of the district. And the strategy is different from both. You know, there's door knocking and standing at the flea markets or at the farmers markets uh for the folks that are in the district and the folks across the country that are excited about this race are able to phone bank and ask folks uh to make sure that they're committed to voting uh for me, to answer any questions that they may have, to make sure that they have the literature or the yard signs that they may want. And so we're putting them to good use and folks are spreading the word. Like I said, over 40 million views on social media in just the last handful of months. We've gotten uh about over 400,000 new followers across social media platforms. Um like I said, I keep bringing that up because 44,000 individual donors, that's nothing to sneeze at. And >> no, that's a real number. So Manny, you presently serve in the Colorado House of Representatives. you have been a guy with a reputation for standing up to lobbyists, which I love. Um, and you know, as a guy who used to work a lot with lobbyists, everything that we can do to to push back on them is is is a godsend. But you've passed 12 bills, which for a younger representative is a pretty impressive record. Talk to us about what those bills were and and and and how you built bipartisan coalitions to get those things passed.

[00:40:37]>> Sure thing. So, uh, I I've actually passed over a dozen bills that have my name on it. Okay. And, um, I'm really proud of the work that we've been able to do. I'll give you just a few of some of my favorites.

[00:40:50]>> Um, the first one is, uh, an expansion of the earned income tax credit here in Colorado. And the reason why it's one of my favorites is because it proved to me that poverty is a policy choice. We can just decide to eradicate poverty.

[00:41:06]>> That's a good line. And I'll and I'll prove it to you right now. And that's because when we passed that law, when we expanded it and we expanded the family affordability tax credit that same year, we were able to cut childhood poverty nearly in half overnight with a stroke of a pen. We just decided to eradicate poverty and then we did. Um, and so that was one of my favorite bills. Another one of my favorite bills is the one that I one of the ones that I passed in the last session, which was uh permitting reform for food trucks. uh for food trucks in Colorado have had to file paperwork in all the jurisdictions that they've had to go in. And you know, these folks, they're specialists in making really delicious foods, not in filling out paperwork. And what we need to make sure is that we're supporting small businesses, these entrepreneurs.

[00:41:53]Uh you know, my district is full of Latinos who are really interested in that entrepreneurial spirit. So what we did was we created a reciprocal permitting system so that if you're covered under one locality, you're covered under another one with some really uh great standards. And so that allowed for a reduction in costs which then they're able to pass on to the consumer. So those are two of uh my favorites. You know, I I love that second one in particular because because because because that's actually one of those things that is a reminder that the Republicans used to be the party of small business and now they're not. They're the party of hedge funds, private equity guys, and Silicon Valley tech bros. And and permitting reform is a small C conservative traditional principle where you want people who want to hustle and bust their ass. Because by by the way, folks, I I actually have a friend who does a food truck as a part-time thing, and he works his ass off. He he breaks his ass doing that job. It's not it's not you're not it's not sitting on your tail. So, I think that's a fascinating thing because it's an argument you can make that, you know, if you're entrepreneurial, if you believe in in in the American dream in small business, I'm your guy. That's that's outstanding.

[00:43:11]>> That's outstanding.

[00:43:12]>> Yeah. Yeah. And and I think we had a few Republicans that supported it, but the vast majority didn't. And it it boggles the mind. You know, you sort of think as Republicans as like you said, formerly being about business or economics and I don't know what happened along the way.

[00:43:27]Now now their interests are just I don't even know. It's culture wars and it's it's exhausting and and it's it's not what people actually uh care about ultimately. They care about uh having a good job, a dignified job, that they're able to feed their family, that they're able to put food on the table and a roof over their child's head, and instead uh they're just throwing around distractions left and right.

[00:43:50]>> Absolutely. Absolutely. So, you know, you've been somebody who's engaged in your community um but also uh have worked as a first responder. You went in after uh Hurricane Maria to do volunteer work and as a first as a rescue responder into Puerto Rico. Talk to us about that a little bit. Yeah. So, when I was working at the US Army Corps of Engineers, uh we're of course responsible for a lot of those emergency operations. And so, um I was able to become a first responder and head over to Puerto Rico. And I think the benefit there was that not only did I have a lot of logistical experience, uh but I was able to be very active and I was able to bring that Spanish fluency into that area so that I could bring a lot of the resources that they needed, the generators that they needed. making sure that their water pumps are working, their emergency uh hospitals and regions are are able to function properly. And so I was able to bring my skill set uh on behalf of the US Army Corps of Engineers uh to the people of Puerto Rico who you know they they were going through some really tough times.

[00:44:52]>> They took a hard hit in that storm.

[00:44:54]>> It was it was really really rough to see. And right now, I mean, what's what's been really shocking to me is that the Trump administration has decided to defund so many of these emergency uh systems. Not only has Trump vetoed a law that would have allowed us to have clean water, but he's denied us emergency funds for disaster relief. I mean, the it seems like there's no bottom to uh the Trump administration, and it is heartbreaking.

[00:45:22]>> It's dark. It's dark. And and folks, that that that clean water bill was a bipartisan bill sponsored by Lauren Boowart, not exactly a member of the Lincoln Project. So, you know, Trump's spite and and pettiness about states that he decides that he doesn't like, and Colorado is certainly at near the top of that list is is epic. So, >> yeah. And I mean, and you know, part of the vengeance tour that Trump is doing is because of the Epstein files. And you got to give credit you got to give credit to Lauren Boowbert on that one.

[00:45:51]um she did uh help bring uh that vote to the table and now as a result uh Trump has turned.

[00:45:59]>> That's right. And so that's the thing about this uh whole um wannabe authoritarian that Trump is uh you can never be too good for him.

[00:46:08]>> No, you can never you can never be you can never be high enough up on that obedience scale. I I want to say this because uh for those of you who are who who are watching Manny on this show or listen to Manny on this show and like what you hear, like what you see, um you can do text banking, you can do phone banking uh from across the country. And I really recommend that. People ask me that at Lincoln all the time. Like what can I do? What can I do? I live in a deep red state. I don't know what I can do. I live in a deep blue state. I don't have to do anything. What should I do?

[00:46:36]And that folks I on on on his website would give us the website again. Manny >> Manny forcol.com.

[00:46:43]>> Manny forcol. Um you'll find options for doing that because I think that that is something that that organizing has become digital.

[00:46:54]And I think in your case there that that great story about your life that great narrative about your life that that way you were shaped and your character was formed.

[00:47:03]People get that. People find that people find that to be something they can relate to and want to relate to. So folks, if you if you are interested, you should get involved. So Manny, you were you you know, you've got the the the the tremendous classic American story and and and that story has been told from the very first generations of Americans where people were coming from England and Scotland and the Netherlands and then that second generation of folks who who who came over from Norway and Sweden and Germany when my relatives came over from Germany in the 1830s, right? They were the scum of the earth back then.

[00:47:43]Then the Irish came and they were the scum of the earth. The Italians came and they were the scum of the earth. The Jews came, they were the scum of the earth. It's always the scum of the earth until you become American.

[00:47:52]>> And that's the beautiful propositional nature of this country. Um, how much are you talking about that story about your mom? Because I think that's enormously inspirational like how hard she worked, how hard you had to work, how that struggle affected your life. How how how front and center is that story for you >> when you're talking to folks?

[00:48:11]I mean, my mom is uh my number one fan and uh you know, my first and biggest love probably. You know, uh >> Sure.

[00:48:22]>> the amount of sacrifice that she endured so that I could live the American dream.

[00:48:30]>> Mhm.

[00:48:31]>> Is I mean it I mean it's making me a little emotional now just thinking about it. But it's that American dream that you're talking about that, you know, has been part of our legacy in this country.

[00:48:42]But I think what we need to highlight is that of course it is work ethic. But another piece of it are the safety programs that allowed us to stay afloat.

[00:48:54]So Medicaid and food stamps, without those programs, I would not have been able to go to Y Law School. I would not have been able to become an attorney that represented working people against corporations that were trying to destroy their communities. I would not have been able to become the state representative that works on behalf of those working people now. And so what I'm trying to get at is that this story of mine about working hard and my mom working hard, waking up at 5:00 a.m. to make me breakfast and staying up late to uh read me stories and pray at my bedside. That story was possible because the American dream relied on programs like food stamps and Medicaid and CHIP and >> right >> those are the same programs that Donald Trump and Gabe Evans have decided to destroy. They are destroying the very underpinnings of the American dream. And so this fight is personal for me and I will not rest until we take back the house.

[00:49:54]>> That's outstanding. I do think I do think again you you have a you have a a biography that speaks to Americans from across the demographics about the hard work and about and about that commitment as that that a parent like your mother made to ensure that the struggles were worth it and to pass that you know to pass that responsibility down to another another generation and to lead with that in your heart I think is a is a is a phenomenal story and uh and I wish all the very best. Uh, Manny, let's go ahead and do the usual thing. Tell us where they can reach you on social media. Run that website one more time.

[00:50:34]First off, Rick, thank you so much for having me. I so appreciate you and the work that you're doing. Uh, folks can find me on social media on all their favorite platforms, Manny Rousinel.

[00:50:44]That's M-Nel.

[00:50:47]And they can find uh my website at manny4col.com.

[00:50:52]and there they can sign up to volunteer and donate and I am so deeply grateful for all the support. Thank you.

[00:50:58]>> I'm delighted that Manny was able to come on the show today. Check out his website, check out his socials. He is really one of these fireball candidates you want to follow. He's a guy in one of the most vital seats in the country. And if we take that seat away from Mike Johnson, it's one more nail in the coffin of that Republican majority.

[00:51:14]Thanks for listening, folks. We'll see you again next week.

[00:51:30]Good night and good luck.