The Republican response to President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union was delivered by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, whose star has been rising ever since she released a campaign ad in her home state explaining how she grew up on a farm and knew how to castrate hogs, meaning she wouldn’t have difficulty “cutting pork” in Washington.
But she wasn’t making a lot of jokes Tuesday night, focusing instead on how Washington has failed Americans.
“Americans have been hurting, but when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It’s a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions,” she said.
Ernst is not only the first women elected to serve in federal office from Iowa, she is the first female combat veteran to serve in the United States Senate.
The newcomer to the Senate is serving on four committees: Armed Services; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
She earned an undergraduate degree from Iowa State, where she joined the ROTC program. She moved into the U.S. Army Reserves after graduation and in 2003 was company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, leading 150 Iowa Army National Guardsmen.
She now holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard.
She worked as auditor in Montgomery County and served as a state senator.
She told Americans the newly elected Republican Congress – voters gave the GOP a bigger majority in the U.S. House and control of the U.S. Senate – plans to make Washington focus on “your concerns.”
“We heard the message you sent in November – loud and clear. And now we’re getting to work to change the direction Washington has been taking our country.”
She said no matter Obama’s characterization of the economy, it’s not doing well.
Obama, in remarks prepared for delivery, boasted of “a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry and booming energy production.”
“We see our neighbors agonize over stagnant wages and lost jobs. We see the hurt caused by canceled health-care plans and higher monthly insurance bills. We see too many moms and dads put their own dreams on hold while growing more fearful about the kind of future they’ll be able to leave to their children,” Ernst said.
But she offered hope.
“There’s a lot we can achieve if we work together. Let’s tear down trade barriers in places like Europe and the Pacific. Let’s sell more of what we make and grow in America over there so we can boost manufacturing, wages, and jobs right here, at home,” she said in her prepared remarks. “Let’s simplify America’s outdated and loophole-ridden tax code. Republicans think tax filing should be easier for you, not just the well-connected. So let’s iron out loopholes to lower rates – and create jobs, not pay for more government spending.”
She said Obama “already has expressed some support” for GOP concepts.
“We’re calling on him now to cooperate to pass them.”
On the fear engendered around the globe by Islamic militants in the terror army known as ISIS, she said: “We’ve been reminded of terrorism’s reach both at home and abroad; most recently in France and Nigeria, but also in places like Canada and Australia. Our hearts go out to all the innocent victims of terrorism and their loved ones. We can only imagine the depth of their grief. … The forces of violence and oppression don’t care about the innocent. We need a comprehensive plan to defeat them.”
And she said lawmakers are now trying.
“Congress is back to work on your behalf, ready to make Washington focus on your concerns again. We know America faces big challenges. But history has shown there’s nothing our nation, and our people, can’t accomplish.”
Ernst swept into the Senate with a victory over four-term Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley to claim the seat occupied for decades by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
She said she knows the “sting of the economy and the frustration with Washington’s dysfunction,” because her home community of Red Oak, Iowa, felt them.
“These days … many families feel like they’re working harder and harder, with less and less to show for it,” she said. “Not just in Red Oak, but across the country.”
She cited moves she believes the country needs to take.
“One you’ve probably heard about is the Keystone jobs bill. President Obama has been delaying this bipartisan infrastructure project for years, even though many members of his party, unions, and a strong majority of Americans support it. The president’s own State Department has said Keystone’s construction could support thousands of jobs and pump billions into our economy, and do it with minimal environmental impact.
“We worked with Democrats to pass this bill through the House. We’re doing the same now in the Senate. President Obama will soon have a decision to make: will he sign the bill, or block good American jobs?”
She said in her work on the Armed Services Committee, there will be discussions on how to support America’s “exceptional military and its missions.”
“This is where we’ll debate strategies to confront terrorism and the threats posed by al-Qaida, ISIL and those radicalized by them. We know threats like these can’t just be wished away,” she said.
Other objectives:
- “Fighting to repeal and replace a health care law that’s hurt so many hardworking families.”
- “Correct executive overreach.”
- “Cut wasteful spending and balance the budget – with meaningful reforms, not higher taxes like the president has proposed.”
- “Advance solutions to prevent the kind of cyberattacks we’ve seen recently.”
- “Confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”
- “And we’ll defend life, because protecting our most vulnerable is an important measure of any society.”
