Senator Ernst made a campaign promise to Iowans to “make ‘em squeal” in Washington, and that she wouldn’t become a typical politician. Instead, she’s used her power in the Senate to push a political agenda that attacks our health care system, added trillions of dollars to our national debt, and puts Iowans’ retirement security at risk just to pay for a tax giveaway to the top one percent and corporations. Failing to stand up for farmers who are direct targets in Trump’s unnecessary Trade War, and making false claims to protect his administration is not what Iowans elected her to do.

Since going to DC, it’s clear Ernst has forgotten where she came from and cares far more about her own political profile than her constituents.

Here’s a quick look at the many ways Senator Ernst has let Iowans down:

Threatened Iowans’ Access to Health Care

  • Ernst has been a reliable GOP vote to roll back the ACA and take away health care and coverage for Iowans with pre-existing conditions. And her proposed replacement plan to protect pre-existing conditions did nothing to prevent insurers from denying coverage for individual medical conditions.
  • Ernst voted for the Trump-GOP Tax Scam that laid the groundwork for the Trump Administration lawsuit to dismantle the ACA. If Ernst and Trump are successful, 187,000 Iowans Iowans who have health coverage because of the ACA would be at risk of losing their health insurance.
  • Ernst voted for Trump’s budget that would have cut overall Medicaid spending by nearly $1.5 trillion — a program Ernst and Trump have both pledged to defend and one that covers about 18 percent of Iowans.
  • Ernst has repeatedly voted to jeopardize federal spending for Planned Parenthood — including supporting a rule from the Trump Administration that would bar groups that provide abortions from receiving Title X funding — a move that threatens the health of thousands of women in Iowa.

Put our Economy and Iowans’ Retirement Security at Risk

  • Ernst voted for the Trump-GOP Tax Scam that added $1.6 trillion to our deficit and gave permanent tax breaks to the top one percent and corporations. Despite repeated claims that the tax bill would pay for itself, GOP leaders are now conceding that’s not going to happen — passing the deficits to middle-class taxpayers and future generations of Iowans.
  • The Trump-GOP Tax Scam is projected to raise taxes on low-and-middle-income Iowans by 2027, and give the top 1 percent of Iowans nearly 25% of the total cuts this year.
  • Ernst introduced the Cradle Act — a bill that would essentially give new parents an option to take an advance on their Social Security retirement benefits, then require them to raise their retirement age to pay back the time off they spent with their newborn child. Ernst’s proposal would undermine Social Security benefits, increase risk for future recipients, and do nothing to solve the paid-family leave crisis in this county.

Broken Promises to Iowa Farmers and Agriculture Industry

  • While Iowa farmers are caught in the middle of Trump’s trade war, Senator Ernst has made excuses for Trump’s agenda every time Trump has dismissed farmers’ concerns.
  • Ernst has failed to take any meaningful action to find a solution to Trump’s trade war that has already left Iowa farmers with the highest level of agriculture debt in the country, and could cost them $2.2 billion in lost profits and depressed ethanol export opportunities.
  • Ernst has refused to hold Trump accountable for his assertion that China will eventually pay for the cost of this trade war. The truth is the costs of tariffs on U.S. imports was largely picked up by American consumers and retailers, including Iowa companies.
  • While Ernst praised Trump for year round ethanol sales, she failed to stand up to the Trump for undercutting the industry by giving renewable fuel standards waivers to big oil companies — a move that has destroyed demand for 2.6 billion barrels of ethanol.