Politics and views in the United States

Voting rights experts warn the midterms are being marred by attempts to curb legitimate ballots from being cast, the federal government is deferring another billion dollars of California’s Medicaid payments, and a South Dakota ballot measure could overturn the state’s Medicaid expansion.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

There is no chance there are 20,000 illegal voters in the state of California.

I'd be surprised if there are 200.

I'd actually be surprised if there are 20.

But this is the tactic that they want to use.

And what begins in California won't end in California.

Longtime voting rights attorney Mark Elias says attempts to curb voting and cheating by Republicans are at record highs in the midterms.

This comes as the Justice Department sees California to remove 20,000 likely non-citizen voters in the state, data show one in four of those people has a U.S. birthplace listed and more than 40 percent were already prevented from voting.

Other voting rights advocates say the DOJ's lawsuit sets the states to challenge election results in the state if Republicans lose in the midterms.

The Golden State is facing another challenge as the federal government is deferring more than a billion dollars in Medicaid payments.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr.

Mehmet Oz says this is to fraud in the state's in-home care program.

California has been growing that program 24% in the last three years.

That is twice the rate of every other state average in the country.

Impossible for us to understand how that could be.

CMS froze around a billion dollars in Medicaid payments for California earlier this year for similar reasons.

Governor Gavin Newsom and state health officials say the program is well run with plenty of oversight and helps keep people out of more expensive nursing homes.

Polls show Democrats lead Republicans on economic issues including the cost of health care.

A KFF poll notes most Americans across the political spectrum want major reforms to health care programs like Medicare.

U.S. Senate candidate and pediatrician Annie Andrews says several changes must be made to improve health care nationwide.

I believe we need to fully fund the Medicaid program.

I believe we need to protect Medicare and Social Security.

These are not entitlement programs.

I believe we need to fund the CDC and the NIH.

She also wants to see Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. impeached saying his disinformation about vaccines has led to fewer parents vaccinating kids and growing measles outbreaks.

South Dakota's Amendment 1 ballot measure would repeal the state's Medicaid expansion if the federal government cuts program funding by 90 percent.

Voters approved the expansion in 2022, raising eligibility to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Supporters say this is about fiscal responsibility and giving lawmakers the flexibility to consider paying for the benefits if the federal government stops covering the cost.

But opponents argue more than and 30,000 South Dakotans could lose their health care coverage if the amendment passes.

Deb Fisher-Clemons with Vote No on 1 says people without insurance might delay care, get sicker, and resort to emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

It's just a vicious cycle that occurs, which is why we worked so hard to get Medicaid expansion in the first place, because it's not that people aren't working.

It's not that it's a handout.

It's an insurance product that makes sure that we keep people healthy and able to work.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org. - Hey, how are you?