Joni Ernst: Democrats ‘Wrapped Up’ in Impeachment ‘Fervor’

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) told Breitbart News Daily that Democrats have been “wrapped up” in impeachment “fervor.”

Sen. Ernst, the vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, told Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow that Iowans want Congress to focus on issues that would improve their lives rather than impeachment. The Iowa conservative has hosted 33 town halls in 2019 and said her constituents want them to focus on passing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Sen. Ernst told Breitbart News Daily, “Well, what I hear at my town halls in Iowa, I may have one random question out there about impeachment. I’ve had 33 town halls, public events across the state of Iowa this past year, and what I hear from Iowans, they want us to do our job, such as the USMCA, the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. They want that done, and they can’t understand why it’s not done.”

“I would point to the House and say the House is so wrapped up in impeachment, which the majority of Americans is, they are saying that this is not the right to spend our time. And why aren’t you getting these bills done, like USMCA? Why are you not getting the National Defense Authorization Act done? And it’s because they are so wrapped up in this fervor over there, and you mention secret impeachment processes, and that does tend to be so far,” the senator added.

The Iowa senator also unveiled her newest legislation, the Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government (SWAG) Act, which would ban federal agencies from wasting taxpayers’ money on koozies, mascots, and fidget spinners.

Sen. Ernst said in a previous interview that Iowans are “tired” of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) impeachment games.

An Emerson College poll found that only six percent of Iowa registered voters rank impeachment of President Donald Trump as their top issue.

Spencer Kimball, the director of Emerson Polling, said:

The Democrats have some work to do in Iowa convincing voters that impeachment is a top priority of Congress; 67% of Democrats in Iowa support impeaching the president, but only 10% identify it as the most important issue in deciding their vote for president.

Sen. Ernst said that Congres should focus on improving the country and passing critical legislation such as funding the government and supporting the country’s military.

“We need to push them on that issue, as Congress we are here to do our jobs as well, and that is funding the government, we need to have the appropriations bills done, we need to be budgeting appropriately, we need to be supporting men and women in uniform,” she said.

“There are many things that we need to be paying attention to, and yet the House can’t focus on anything but impeachment,” Sen. Ernst said.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.