Ernst Claims She “Pushed For” Relief Funding She’s Opposed for Weeks and Senate GOP Has Blocked

Furthering Her Bad Faith Effort, Senator Ernst Bragged on New Funding for Hospitals, States, and Testing That She Has Spent Weeks Decrying as “Gimmicks,” Pork,” and “Unrelated Requests” for Pandemic Relief

Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans for weeks have blocked urgent relief funding for hospitals, state governments, dedicated support for rural and minority-owned small businesses, and COVID-19 testing – but that has not stopped Senator Joni Ernst from prematurely taking false credit for the measures after opposing them in interviews and public statements for weeks.

In a Facebook Live on Monday – mere minutes after once again calling the urgent measures “unrelated requests” that Democrats “wanted to squeeze into the PPP funding” – Senator Ernst again took credit for efforts she’s consistently opposed, claiming she and the GOP had secured “additional dollars we wanted for diagnostic testing” and “$75 billion for our hospitals…something I have pushed for.”

WATCH: Senate Ernst Claims She “Pushed For” New Funding for Hospitals & COVID-19 Testing After Opposing It for Weeks

Since the onset of discussions of an interim package, Senator Ernst has decried a deal that delivered needed relief beyond the Payment Protection Program. She said that Senate Democrats were trying to “hijack” the effort by pushing for more aid for hospitals and testing – which she derided as “gimmicks.” 

These deceitful efforts are nothing new for Senator Ernst. She claimed false credit on Phase Two’s paid family leave after voting to remove the provision from the bill, and she’s continued to brag on Phase Three’s expanded unemployment benefits and $55 billion boost for hospitals even though she voted twice to block both from the final package.

“Senator Ernst has proven she has no interest in making an honest effort towards meaningful relief for Iowans. Her bad-faith doublespeak shows she thinks she can get away with playing political games in this unprecedented crisis,” said Jeremy Busch, Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson. “It’s clear that not only has Senator Ernst not ‘made DC squeal,’ but she’s quickly becoming the standard-bearer for the very worst of Washington politics.”