HARLAN, Ia. — U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst faced a barrage of questions on health care, but offered few firm answers at an early-morning town meeting here Monday.

Ernst, a Republican, declined to take a position on the GOP-written health care bill now under consideration in the Senate, telling a crowd of about 150 at the forum and reporters in a press conference afterward that she wanted to see changes to the bill before publicly declaring her support.

“I am not going to say whether I would or would not support that bill, because I am offering up my own ideas, my own suggestions, and I’d like to see them included in the bill,” Ernst said. “We’ll continue with those discussions.”

Ernst said her office is drafting several possible amendments, although she declined to describe them to reporters.

During the town meeting, constituents quizzed Ernst on various facets of the bill and the broader issue of health care insurance and coverage.

Sally Burmeister, 75, of Harlan, implored Ernst to oppose elements of the bill that would cap federal spending on the Medicaid health care program for the poor and elderly and phase out an expansion of the program enacted under the Affordable Care Act.

Ernst, in response, said she favors preserving Medicaid for “the elderly, the disabled and children” — a formulation that opens the door to ending or phasing out the expansion that provides coverage for many able-bodied low-income adults.

Several attendees voiced concerns about changes to the law that would allow insurers to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Ernst said she believes prohibitions against that practice should remain in place, and indicated openness to a proposal from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that would allow insurers to offer cheaper plans providing less coverage so long as they provide at least one plan covering everything defined in current law as an “essential health benefit.”

In an extended interaction, Dani Ausen, 34, of Des Moines, expressed doubt that the plan would actually provide affordable care to people with expensive conditions.

“It’s allowing flexibility,” Ernst told her.

“It’s allowing flexibility for insurance companies to not cover these people,” Ausen shot back.

Many in the crowd were progressives affiliated with groups such as Indivisible Iowa, and pressed the senator not only to oppose the current bill but to embrace proposals expanding health care coverage.

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Michael McKinley, of Des Moines, asked Ernst if she could support “Medicare for all.” The senator responded that she could not, citing the high cost of providing government-managed care.

When asked about a suggestion from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that the Senate might abandon the current bill and instead seek Democratic support for a bill addressing rising costs and declining access in the marketplaces for individual health insurance plans, Ernst indicated a willingness to discuss it.

That kind of approach could potentially address the direst challenges facing Iowa regarding the existing health care law, but would likely be interpreted as a major political retreat on promises Republicans have been making for years.

“I think you’d lose a lot of support from the Republican conference because they really want their ideas addressed before they move on to the Democratic conference,” Ernst said. “But I want to find a way forward, and one that will work for Iowa. If that means visiting with other members, I think that’s OK.”

Ernst was also asked about a tweet from President Donald Trump suggesting that the U.S. might partner with Russia in some way to address cyber security threats.

When asked if she agreed with such a plan, Ernst, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who has repeatedly called Russia unfriendly to American interests, answered immediately.

“No,” she said flatly. “That’s easy. That’s easy.”