Congressman Flood met with boisterous opposition over ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ at Lincoln town hall

Congressman Mike Flood’s third town hall of the year was his biggest, and arguably most contentious one yet.

The 850-seat Kimball Recital Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus was filled with a crowd that wasted no time vocalizing their criticisms of the representative.

Following an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance and performance of ‘God Bless America,’ Flood began touting the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that he and 217 of his fellow Republicans voted for last month.

“I truly believe that this bill will allow America to experience growth, that it will allow our communities to thrive, that it will spark our economy, that it will help farmers and ranchers, that it will take care of the vulnerable,” he said. “And more than anything, I truly believe this bill protects Medicaid for the future.”

That statement, like many throughout the evening, sparked jeers and boos from many in attendance.

Flood emphasized the bill only changes Medicaid – which provides health coverage for low-income individuals and families of any age -- and not Medicare which mostly provides health insurance for people 65 years and older.

A work requirement for able-bodied individuals on Medicaid was among the changes made to the program.

“Do you think that people who are 28 years old that can work and refuse to work should get free health care?” Flood asked.

Many in the crowd yelled ‘yes’ in response.

“I don’t think that a majority of Nebraskans agree with you,” Flood replied.

Throughout the question-and-answer portion of the evening, Flood received several accusations of enabling fascism, which were met with standing ovations from the majority of those in attendance.

One woman questioned taxpayer dollars being used for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the construction of ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ an immigration detainment center in Florida.

“How much does it cost for fascism?” she asked. “How much do taxpayers have to pay for a fascist country?”

“Americans voted for a border that is secure, and I support the president enforcing our immigration laws,” Flood said in response.

“You said in Seward that you were not a fascist,” another man asked. “Your complicity says otherwise.”

“Fascists don’t hold town halls with open question-and-answer series,” Flood responded.

As in Flood’s other town halls, "tax the rich" was a common refrain for the crowd, particularly after the congressman said the country can’t afford certain programs.

“If we adopted the Democrats’ plan in the last Congress to tax the rich, it would generate $50 billion, which does not take us close to where we're going,” Flood said after one of the many times the chant echoed throughout the building. “It cuts job creation, it cuts business creation, it cuts the ability for employers to invest in their businesses.”

Despite the constant heckling, only one man was removed from the auditorium following several minutes of shouting "Free Palestine."

A rare moment of applause for the congressman came after he voiced his support for releasing the Epstein files.

Speaking with reporters after the town hall, Flood said he wasn’t surprised by his welcome.

“I knew coming to Lincoln was going to be different than the two rural communities I was at,” he said. “I would say the decibel level was up there pretty good. But no, nothing really surprised me. I feel like I was prepared for this.”

Flood previously held town halls in Columbus and Seward. He said he doesn’t plan to hold any more this year.

The Lincoln town hall was televised on Nebraska Public Media.