Despite the fact that I serve on the Oversight Committee, Oversight Republicans refused to let me speak during their sham hearing on Medicaid in Ohio. Why? They knew I would call out their political theater. Here's what happened and why it matters:
Congress Member Profile|U.S. Representative|Democrat|Ohio District 11
Shontel M. Brown
Source: Wikipedia • View full (CC BY-SA)
SoupScoreanalysis-first civic rating · view full breakdown
Loading…
Voting Record — 568
Yes42%
No57%
Present0%
Not Voting0%
Party align98%
Cross-party0%
SoupScore
District Map
Congressional District 11
U.S. Census Bureau boundary data.
Social & Web
External Resources
Shontel M. Brown
U.S. RepresentativeDemocratOhio District 11
SoupScore
Shontel M.'s ATmosphere Activity
20 recent posts · 20 sponsored · 145 cosponsored
Recent ATmosphere posts, sponsorships, and cosponsorships.
And if Republicans want answers about those failures, they should start by looking in the mirror to find out who has been running Ohio for the last decade and a half.
People with disabilities trying to live independently are not the villains here.
If fraud occurred, the responsibility lies with the bad actors who committed it and the oversight systems that failed to stop it.
So let's be clear: if providers committed fraud, they should be prosecuted.
If taxpayer dollars were stolen, they should be recovered.
The people who need home- and community-based services are not the villains here.
The seniors trying to stay in their homes are not the villains here.
They don't get to spend years running the state and dismantling oversight, then show up in Washington shocked that oversight failed.
They controlled the agencies responsible for provider enrollment. They controlled claims processing. They controlled fraud prevention.
They controlled Medicaid administration. And they eliminated the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee designed to catch exactly these problems.
Or they are true and systemic, in which case they represent a massive failure of oversight under Republican control.
Because Republicans have had complete and total control of Ohio for more than fifteen years.
So this isn’t really an investigation in search of facts, is it? It's a political campaign in search of headlines.
Which brings me to the question Republicans cannot answer: which is it?
Either these allegations are unproven, in which case this hearing is a political exercise built on speculation…
In fact, two of the three majority witnesses here today were at a press conference just last week with the out-of-touch Republican candidate for governor – the same candidate who called Medicare and Medicaid quote-unquote a mistake … and called working families in Ohio lazy.
cutting Medicaid and shifting blame away from those who have actually been in charge.
Last year, Republicans cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy in their Big Ugly Law. Now they are holding hearings to convince the public the program itself is the problem.
But let’s at least be honest – this hearing isn’t really about fraud … it’s about politics.
This is a political hearing built on allegations that remain unproven, amplified by partisan actors, and aimed at justifying a broader political goal:
Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues on this committee seem to look the other way each and every time this President pardons individuals convicted of Medicare fraud, tax fraud, securities fraud, and wire fraud. Give me a break.
Since they wouldn’t let me say it in the room – here’s what I was going to say:
Let’s dispense with the pretense.
We should all agree that anyone who steals taxpayer dollars or exploits programs that help seniors, people with disabilities, and working families should be held accountable.
Why? Because they knew I was going to blast this hearing for what it was: nothing more than MAGA fear-mongering to justify Republican healthcare cuts.
Nevermind that the GOP has run Ohio for 15 years.
I won’t let my constituents be silenced.
Despite being a member of the Oversight Committee who represents 750,000 Ohioans – I was just blocked from participating in today’s sham Oversight hearing on Medicaid fraud in Ohio.
Republicans tried to silence me at today’s Oversight Hearing on “fraud” in Ohio.
Click to watch this disgraceful behavior, then read this thread to find out why Republicans refused to let me speak out: youtube.com/shorts/Mq1Pg...
Interested in becoming a homeowner but don’t know where to start? Our Housing Expo on Saturday features govt agencies, banks, and realtors who can provide you with a roadmap on building credit, applying for a mortgage, and more.
Register here: iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/E...
Everyone deserves a safe and affordable home – but that’s out of reach for too many in NE Ohio and nationwide.
Today I announced my Safe & Affordable Housing Agenda, a legislative package to lower costs, strengthen affordable housing and get the lead out of homes.
Housing is a huge issue in NE Ohio and we need action.
Today, I announced my Safe and Affordable Housing Agenda, a comprehensive legislative package to strengthen lead removal efforts, build more affordable housing, and improve HUD-assisted housing.
www.cleveland.com/news/2026/06...
SoupScore Breakdown
Loading analysis metrics…
Voting History568 total votesExpandCollapse
Voting History
568 total votes
Recent roll calls with party-majority context so it is easier to scan how this member tends to vote.
| Date | Bill | Question | Position | Party Maj | Align? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-11 | H.R. 1156 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-11 | H. Res. 211 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-11 | H. Res. 211 (119th) | End debate now | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-10 | H.R. 993 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-10 | H.R. 901 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-10 | H.R. 495 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-06 | H. Res. 189 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-06 | S.J. Res. 11 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-05 | H. Res. 189 (119th) | Kill the motion | YES | YES | ✓ | Failed |
| 2025-03-05 | H.J. Res. 42 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-05 | H.J. Res. 61 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-04 | H. Res. 177 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-04 | H. Res. 177 (119th) | End debate now | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-04 | H.R. 758 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-03-03 | H.R. 856 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-27 | H.J. Res. 20 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-26 | H.J. Res. 35 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-26 | H.R. 695 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-26 | H. Con. Res. 14 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-26 | H.R. 804 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-26 | H.R. 788 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-25 | H. Res. 161 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-25 | H. Res. 161 (119th) | End debate now | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-25 | H.R. 818 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-25 | H.R. 832 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-24 | H.R. 825 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-13 | H.R. 35 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-12 | H.R. 77 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-12 | H.R. 77 (119th) | Send back to committee | YES | YES | ✓ | Failed |
| 2025-02-11 | H. Res. 122 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-11 | H. Res. 122 (119th) | End debate now | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-10 | H.R. 736 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-10 | H.R. 692 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-07 | H.R. 26 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-07 | H.R. 26 (119th) | Send back to committee | YES | YES | ✓ | Failed |
| 2025-02-06 | H.R. 27 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-06 | H.R. 27 (119th) | Approve amendment | YES | YES | ✓ | Failed |
| 2025-02-05 | H. Res. 93 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-05 | H. Res. 93 (119th) | End debate now | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-05 | H.R. 776 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-02-04 | H.R. 43 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-23 | H.R. 21 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-23 | H.R. 21 (119th) | Send back to committee | YES | YES | ✓ | Failed |
| 2025-01-23 | H.R. 471 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-23 | H.R. 375 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-22 | S. 5 (119th) | Final passage | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-22 | H.R. 165 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-22 | H. Res. 53 (119th) | Approve resolution | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-22 | H. Res. 53 (119th) | End debate now | NO | NO | ✓ | Passed |
| 2025-01-22 | H.R. 187 (119th) | Fast-track passage | YES | YES | ✓ | Passed |
Alignment stats consider only votes where a clear yes/no majority existed for the legislator's party. Cross-party marks divergence where the vote matched the opposite party majority. ↔ indicates cross-party divergence.