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Good morning! Made it to another Friday!
If you are an Iowa Republican on social media you’ve seen the criticisms of Sen. Joni Ernst this week. Ernst has refused to say whether she supports Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. In fact, it is alleged that Ernst is orchestrating the GOP opposition to his nomination. I’m not so sure that is accurate, but it’s out there.
We thought today would be a good day to review the many frustrations Ernst has created for conservatives during her time in the U.S. Senate.
Let’s start at the beginning. In 2014, when Ernst was running for her first term, she promised to only serve two terms — 12 years — in the U.S. Senate. Will she keep that promise? Who knows. But this video shows her promising just two terms, 12 years.
Of course, years later she endorsed Chuck Grassley for his eighth term in the Senate.
2020 ELECTION
Let’s fast forward to the 2020 Election. We know Ernst, like every member of Iowa’s Republican delegation, voted to certify the 2020 election. Ernst said:
“Let’s move on. Let’s get President Biden into place. Let’s get the new administration going and let’s start healing our nation.”
Ernst said history would “not look kindly” at senators who “abdicated their constitutional authority” and voted against certifying Biden’s supposed win. Ernst called Jan. 6 “anarchy” and said people who resorted to violence should be “punished to the fullest extent of the law.” As for Trump, Ernst said Trump exhibited “poor leadership” on Jan. 6. Trump, she added, holds “some responsibility for the anarchy.”
We believed Ernst would be the perfect D.C. Republican to defend Ashli Babbitt after the unarmed Air Force veteran was killed inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a cop who previously left his service weapon in a restroom. But Ernst has remained silent.
When Tucker Carlson released video from Jan. 6 that was previously unseen, Ernst stood right behind Sen. Mitch McConnell when he blasted Tucker for airing the video.
IOWA GOP COUNTY COMMITTEES CENSURE ERNST
Ernst created a huge controversy when she supported the DisRespect for Marriage Act despite what family advocacy groups and congressional conservatives were saying — not to mention what the Iowa GOP Platform stated about marriage. Pastor Brad Cranston took her to task for the vote.
Ernst was censured or condemned by at least 17 GOP county central committees. In the midst of the controversy, Ernst played the victim. The Marion County GOP even called for Ernst’s resignation.
How did Ernst respond to the outrage from Iowans? She served as a “special guest” for the LGBTQ GOP group in Washington D.C. at a “closed press” event. Log Cabin Republicans (the group) advocates for a national ban on counseling for minors as it relates to confusing regarding sexual orientation or gender identity. Unless, of course, the counseling affirms feelings of homosexuality.
We know that David Kochel was a top strategist for Ernst and took a lot of credit for getting her elected in 2014. We know Kochel has been anti-Trump for years. We know Kochel was one of the reasons the establishment took out Congressman Steve King. And it was Kochel, Ernst’s top strategist, calling for passage of the DisRespect for Marriage Act.
This summer Ernst reiterated her support transgender inclusion in the military. And Ernst wants to require females to register for the draft.
Curiously, Ernst called reparations for slavery a “complex and complicated issue.” Ernst also implored Iowans to welcome Afghan refugees, saying they are “wonderful.”
SPENDING PROBLEM
Ernst has been one of Ukraine’s biggest champions in the U.S. Senate. She even voted to fund the salaries of Ukrainian government employees and civil service pensions! Ernst also joined every Senate Democrat to send $12 billion to Ukraine in emergency military funding.
Ernst was one of 14 Republicans who vote d to allow Democrats to close debate on the debt ceiling deal with just 50 votes instead of 60. That went against what President Trump was advocating. Ernst sided with John Barrasso, Roger Wicker, Shelley Moore Capito, Susan Collins, Roy Blunt, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, Richard Burr, John Cornyn, Mitt Romney, Rob Portman, John Thune and Mitch McConnell.
Ernst voted in favor of the $1.5 trillion Biden spending bill that, according to Congressman Chip Roy, funds tyranny. That bill was also criticized by Iowa Firearms Coalition for its anti-Second Amendment language.
Interestingly, Ernst entered the U.S. Senate in 2015. At the end of 2014, America’s debt was $17.8 trillion. Today it is more than $36.1 trillion. The national debt has more than doubled in the last decade. Makes you wonder who has squealed exactly.
PRO-LIFE, PRO-2A MOVEMENTS DISAPPOINTED
Ernst joined Democrats to sabotage Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville who refused to fast-track promotions in the military over the Biden Administration’s pro-abortion policies. Tuberville was specifically taking aim at the Biden Administration’s travel policy for troops seeking an abortion. Ernst blasted Tuberville, saying his strategy was “injecting politics into the military” and was “dishonorable and abhorrent.”
Biden was “glad” to see the Ernst-backed gun control measure advance. Trump, on the other hand, said the deal would “go down in history as the first step in movement to TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY.” Congresswoman Ashley Hinson even said she couldn’t support such a bill.
While the state party urges activists to remain neutral during primaries, Ernst endorsed State Rep. Jane Bloomingdale despite her pro-abortion record. Ernst went so far as to call Bloomingdale a “strong, proven and conservative leader and winner.” Bloomingdale at the time was an opponent to school choice as well. Bloomingdale voted against the Heartbeat Bill and against the abortion neutrality amendment to the Iowa Constitution. She was facing a primary challenge primarily based on her support for abortion.
Ernst voted for the Violence Against Women Act, which had anti-Second Amendment measures as well as expanded gender ideology.
STRANGE COMPANY
Ernst has received thousands in donations from Pfizer. We know Melinda Gates is a big Ernst donor. Ernst also received donations from Sam Bankman-Fried.
Ernst recommended District Court Judge Stephen Locher, who blocked Iowa from enforcing provisions related to a law that prohibited Iowa school libraries from having books that depict sex acts as well as restrictions on sexual orientation and/or gender identity instruction to elementary students.
Ernst was quick to defend Liz Cheney and claimed Cheney was being “canceled” by the Republican Party. Ernst never defended Congressman Steve King as he was being “canceled.” Ernst also refused to call COVID the “China Virus,” instead saying it should be called the Coronavirus.
Ernst voted in favor of the Kigali Amendment, a global climate deal. Sen. Chuck Schumer called it a “win-win.” John Kerry said it was a “profound victory for the climate and the American economy.” While 27 Republican senators voted against it, Ernst joined Republicans like Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and every Senate Democrat in support.
Ernst joined “The View” to tout her bipartisanship and declare that Joe Biden won the presidency in 2020.
TRUMP ROADBLOCK
When Trump went after Democrat representatives and tweeted they should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came,” Ernst called President Trump’s tweet racist.
When Trump endorsed Mo Brooks for U.S. Senate, and Katie Britt got in the race two months later, Ernst was one of five Republican senators to donate to Britt’s campaign. Trump called Britt a “RINO,” a “close friend of Old Crow Mitch McConnell” and said Britt is “not in any way qualified” to be in the U.S. Senate.
We should not forget Ernst was listed as one of nine Republican senators The Hill suggested may be a roadblock to the confirmation of Trump nominees.
Finally, during the caucus season, take a look at what Ernst said about Nikki Haley. Well, spoiler…watch Ernst call Nikki Haley the “total package.”
DO NOT TAKE IT FROM US
Here is a great fact — you don’t have to just take it from The Iowa Standard. There are other conservative organizations that score these politicians all of the time.
Conservative Review’s Liberty Score: 62%
Hertiage Action: 42%
TP USA Action: 68.75%
CPAC: 73%
Republican Liberty Caucus: 40%
Freedom Index: 55%
All of those ratings are based on votes. You can click on each organization’s name and it will take you to the ranking for Ernst in each system. Here are some of the votes in particular she was docked for:
4/23/24 – HR 815 – Foreign Aid Package. “Recklessly spends US tax dollars without a strategy, plan or end goal.” Ernst voted yes.
4/20/24 – HR 7888 – FISA Reauthorization. Ernst voted yes.
4/20/24 – Amendment prohibiting warrantless queries of Section 702. Ernst voted no.
3/23/24 – HR 2882 – Consolidated Appropriations, more funding for Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas conflicts, increases national debt. Ernst voted yes.
6/1/23 – HR 3746 – Bipartisan debt-limit deal. Enabled Congress to generate an estimated $4 trillion in new federal debt. Ernst voted yes.
3/28/23 – Hawley amendment created special inspector general for Ukraine aid. Ernst voted no.
11/29/22 – Respect for Marriage Act, forcing states to redefine marriage and threatening religious liberty. Ernst voted yes.
6/23/22 – Gun control measure. Ernst voted yes.
6/21/22 – Advance gun control legislation closer to passage without reading the bill. Ernst voted yes.
5/19/22 – Fund the Ukraine war through the end of Biden’s first term with $40 billion aid package. Ernst voted yes.
3/10/22 – $1.5 trillion omnibus bill funding Biden’s vaccine mandates. Ernst voted yes.
3/9/21 – Voted yes on Merrick Garland’s confirmation as Attorney General.
12/19/19 – Voted yes on $555 billion Christmas minibus spending bill
8/1/19 – Voted yes on suspending the debt ceiling, canceling the budget caps and increasing spending.
5/23/19 – Voted yes on $19 billion spending bill without funding for border crisis.
8/23/18 – Voted yes on $854 billion spending bill that funds Planned Parenthood.
It’s great that so many people are paying attention to Ernst now due to this Hegseth nomination. But it shouldn’t have taken this to wake so many up to reality.
We will see what happens in 2026. I think it will be a more exciting election year in Iowa than I anticipated.
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Thank you for writing this article it’s great! I been telling everyone that her voting record is TERRIBLE but you laid it all out there, beautifully! How many of these votes go against MAGA? Just a terrible record. PRIMARY HER.but she’s not alone.