New DMR Editorial: Sen. Ernst Displays ‘Profile in Hypocrisy’ As She ‘Changed Her Tune’ on Letting Voters Decide

Senator Joni Ernst’s announcement last night that she’ll hypocritically rush to vote on a lifetime appointment to fill an election-year vacancy on the Supreme Court is encountering strong pushback – from Senator Ernst of the past.

Throughout 2016 and 2018, Ernst repeatedly voiced support for the so-called “Biden Rule,” claiming it’s “precedent set” that if there’s a Supreme Court opening during an election year, the Senate should “wait to see what the people say this November, and then our next president will put forward a nominee.”

Here are five times Senator Ernst clearly stated that voters should decide who fills an election-year Supreme Court vacancy:

  1. July 6, 2018: In an interview with the Des Moines Register Editorial Board, Ernst said that if there’s a SCOTUS vacancy while President Trump is in an election year, the Biden Rule is “precedent set. So come 2020, if there’s an opening, I’m sure you’ll remind me of that.” [Des Moines Register Editorial Board, 7/6/18]

  1. March 30, 2016: Dallas County News reported that Ernst supported withholding consideration of Merrick Garland because “the next President, and the voters should get to decide.” [Dallas County News, 3/30/16]

  2. March 16, 2016: Ernst told reporters on a press call, “We have a very, very significant election coming up where we want the people to speak out. We want to hear their opinion on this. They will do that by electing a new president.” [Cedar Rapids Gazette, 3/16/16]

  1. March 16, 2016: Ernst released a statement supporting the decision to not consider Merrick Garland’s nomination, saying the Senate should “give the people a voice in SCOTUS debate” by waiting “to see what the people say this November, and then our next president will put forward a nominee.” [Office of Senator Joni Ernst, 3/16/16]

  1. 2016: Ernst told KWQC that “we have a very very significant election coming up in November where we want the people to speak out. We want to hear their opinion on this.” [KWQC, 2016]

By reversing her years-long position and rushing forward a lifetime appointment even though voters are days away from being able to cast their ballots, Senator Ernst has once again demonstrated that she puts partisan politics ahead of Iowans. Clearly, Washington has changed Ernst.

Yesterday, the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Des Moines Register Editorial Boards sharply condemned Senator Ernst’s shameless election-year reversal. The Register wrote that Senator Ernst was demonstrating her ‘profile in hypocrisy.’ The Gazette wrote, “Ernst promised Iowans she’d fight corruption in Washington. Instead, she’s enabled it.”