The Daily Signal - Sen. Joni Ernst Wants to Cut Absurd Washington Spending

Episode Date: November 1, 2019

As the national debt grows larger and larger, our lawmakers continue to spend obliviously--and even on frivolous things. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa., is not happy about how much government agencies are spending on swag, and she recently introduced legislation to end things like the government spending over $600,000 on coloring books.  We also cover the following stories: Two Democrats buck the party line and do not vote for the impeachment resolution. A National Security Council official who heard the Ukraine call told House Members, “I want to be clear, I was not concerned that anything illegal was discussed."  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addresses the resignation of Rep. Katie Hill. The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet,iTunes, Pippa, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Friday, November 1st. I'm Rachel Del Judas. And I'm Kate Trinco. Today we feature Rachel's exclusive interview with Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa. Senator Ernst is looking to curb Washington's out-of-control spending and explains to Rachel how she wants lawmakers to tackle that issue. Don't forget. If you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating

on iTunes and encourage your friends and family to subscribe. Now on to our top news. The House voted 232 to 196 Thursday on an impeachment resolution that lays out parameters for the process, and not one Republican voted with Democrats to start the impeachment proceedings. Two Democrats from districts that Trump won in 2016, Colin Peterson of Minnesota, and Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey, also voted with Republicans against the measure. Congressman Justin Mash of Michigan, and, independent who left the Republican Party in July after he became the first Republican in Congress

to support impeachment voted in favor of impeachment. Amash tweeted, the president will be in power for only a short time, but excusing his misbehavior will forever tarnish your name. To my Republican colleagues, step outside your media and social bubble. History will not look kindly on disingenuous, frivolous, and false defenses of this man. President Trump took to Twitter after the impeachment vote, saying the greatest witch hunt in American history. White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement, the president has done nothing wrong and the Democrats know it. She also said, with today's vote, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats have done nothing more than enshrine

unacceptable violations of due process and a House rules. Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Schiff, and the Democrats conducted secret behind closed door meetings, blocked the administration from participating and have now voted to authorize a second round of hearings that still fails to provide any due process whatsoever to the administration. The Democrats want to render a verdict without giving the administration a chance to mount a defense. That is unfair, unconstitutional, and fundamentally un-American. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the call in question between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Voldemir Zelensky that reignited Democrats' impeachment push was not inappropriate. During an exclusive interview with the New York Post on Wednesday, Pompeo took a shot at the Obama administration, saying, There is all this breathless discussion about this Trump administration's Ukraine policy. This is the administration that actually provided defensive weapons systems to Ukraine.

I could not tell you why the Obama administration chose not to arm Ukraine. Was it because of Hunter Biden? I don't know. Pompeo also said that the United States has been working with Ukraine against Russia. He said, we chose to push back against Vladimir Putin. We chose to protect the Ukrainian people to do real work in eastern Ukraine, to allow the Ukrainian people to provide for their own security. Tim Morrison of the National Security Council talked to House members Thursday about the July 25th Ukraine call and the Trump administration's interactions with Ukraine. Morrison, who is leaving the National Security Council, where he served as senior director of European and Russian affairs, said the transcript released by the White House accurately and completely reflects the substance of the call, which he himself was listening to.

Morrison also said in his opening remarks, I want to be clear, I was not concerned that anything illegal was discussed. Meanwhile, lawmakers in the Senate passed a spending package for fiscal year 2020, with Thursday's vote meaning that the Senate has now passed four of the 12 total appropriations bills. Government funding runs out on November 21st, meaning that lawmakers will have less than a month to pass the remaining eight appropriations bills, or they'll have to pass a last-minute funding package in the form of a continuing resolution or an omnibus bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had warm words for Representative Katie Hill,

the freshman Democrat from California, who announced her resignation this week. That announcement came after Hill admitted to a sexual relationship with a campaign employee. She was also facing a House Ethics Committee investigation regarding an alleged sexual relationship with another employee, which Hill denied occurred. Here's what Pelosi had to say via C-SPAN. Katie Hill's decision to resign is her decision to resign. She's an absolutely outstanding young public servant. Very smart, strategic, patriotic, loves our country,

respected by her colleagues in the Congress for the work that she does here. She made her decision and her timing, and I respect that. I do say to my own children, especially grandchildren, you know some of these, I don't know what you would call them, appearances on social media can come back to haunt you if they are taken out of context and that. But I do think that we have to be careful. This is something that I think could spring from this that could be a benefit. it. Regardless of any errors in judgment

that anyone may have made, it's shameful that she's been exposed to public humiliation by way of cyber exploitation. And I caution everyone that they too may be subjected to that.

So to be careful, countless women across America have been subjected to this type of harassment and abuse, which is a profound violation of those women's rights or any men too and human dignity. So this is, this is, Hill's resignation also came after graphic photos of her had surfaced. Next up, we'll feature Rachel's interview with Senator Joni Ernst. Tired of high taxes, fewer health care choices, and bigger government, become a part of the Heritage Foundation. We're fighting the rising tide

of homegrown socialism while developing conservative solutions that make families more free and more prosperous. Find out more at heritage.org. We are joined today on the Daily Signal podcast by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. Senator Ernst, thank you so much for being with us today. Oh, it's a pleasure. Thank you, Rachel. So you've had a busy week. Yesterday, you just introduced legislation called the Swag Act that ends taxpayer-funded trinkets and mascots that these agencies produce. Can you start off by telling us about this legislation and why it's needed? You bet the Swag Act, S-W-A-G, is Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government Act. And what we have found just in our research is that the federal government spends over $1.4 billion, with a B, dollars on public relations and advertising campaigns.

And what's really sad about that is that's over twice the amount of what the federal government dedicates for breast cancer research. And that $1.4 billion is purchasing things like special-made costumes as mascots for our different federal agencies. We're buying key chains. We're buying all kinds of little gadgets, coosies, snuggies, and we've spent over $600,000 on coloring books. That's kind of ridiculous. Right. The fact that we're... It is. It's beyond ridiculous.

What is it that the federal government should be doing? And how should we use our taxpayer dollars? I would say coloring books and key chains, probably not a priority within the federal government. Certainly they play a role in private industry, but for the federal government, no. We really need to either save those taxpayer dollars, keep them in taxpayers' pockets,

or be using them for the right reasons in the federal government. So what the bill would do, it would prevent those federal agencies from spending that type of money on advertising and little gadgets just to give away. So the government's fiscal year just ended on September 30th. And going into that time, you had introduced legislation called the End of Year Fiscal Responsibility Act to basically address all of this end of year spending that we see agencies taking on and spending things that, you know, trying to use up leftover funds. Why? Do you see this legislation is needed?

And what are some of the harmful last-minute spending sprees that you've seen agencies take part in? Yeah, exactly. And at the end of the fiscal year, we see this all the time. It's binge-buyrocrats that are out there. Spending all those dollars on things their departments don't really need because at the end of the fiscal year, that money goes away and you start into a new fiscal year. So they try and spend it on odds and ends. We've seen them spend it on lobster tails.

candy, booze, you know, all of those things that they don't really need in their departments. So, again, it's not being used wisely. And you know what? If you don't need it, then let's not waste those taxpayer dollars. So the bill that I've introduced, it would prohibit the federal government and those agencies from overspending. They'd be held to the average of what was spent in the last two months of the year. it would be the average of the previous 10 months of that fiscal year is what they would be held to. What should the American people know about spending, even how much we're spending now?

I think the national debt, I think it just hit $23 trillion, if I'm correct. And why is this an issue that you're so passionate about? Well, if you look at it and you divide that amongst every person across the United States. You know, our share of the debt, it's well over $60,000 a person. And that is significant. Businesses can't run like that. I know back in Iowa, our counties can't run like that. Our cities can't run like that. They have to have balanced budgets. Our state certainly doesn't run like that. Our federal government shouldn't either. You know, we expect our taxpayers to support the things that the federal government is charged with doing through the Constitution. But there's a lot of other things that we purchase and we do. do that really aren't any benefit to our taxpayers. And those are the things that we really need to watch. So I am passionate about it. I don't want to be spending money needlessly and then pass that on to my daughter, grandchildren, you can see the pattern. Do you think Washington will ever

change its spending habits or do you think this is something that we're just going to see as a cycle repeating itself? I think we are trapped in a very dangerous cycle. And the only way I see Congress changing its behavior is if we're forced to change that behavior. And my colleagues and I have worked very closely with James Lankford and David Perdue on a number of these issues. And a number of us have come together. We've sponsored bills like no budget, no pay, no budget, no recess, all of those things to force Congress to change the way they do business when it comes to budgeting and appropriations. So before coming to Congress, you served as an auto in Montgomery County in Iowa.

And how did what you see there kind of on a small local level inform your opinion now about what you're experiencing and witnessing now on such a much larger level? Absolutely. I started in the county auditor's office in Montgomery County as the auditor and just observing the pattern of behavior in my county level departments, you know, great people, but they were always afraid at the end of the fiscal year. if I don't spend that money. I won't get it when I request dollars for the next year. So they would spend it out. And I saw those same behaviors at the county level. But trying to break them of that habit,

make sure you're budgeting appropriately. Make sure you're not asking for things that the department doesn't need. I come from a, you know, a fiscally challenged area. And so making sure that we were doing the absolute best we could for our taxpayers was really important. and it was those same thoughts that I took on when I went into the state Senate as well. And now that I'm in the federal government, cutting waste is a really big priority for me. On the county level, I've heard this from friends and even of some family who work in county and state government. Did you see a lot more concern probably when it came to waste versus here now in D.C. where it's a different ballgame. Absolutely.

And it's because when you're at that local level, you're interacting with those people, every single day. And one of the things I really loved about being a county auditor was the fact that my constituents could walk right into the counter at the auditor's office, look me in the eyes, sitting at my desk behind that counter, and say, Joni, you need to explain to me, you know, what this expenditure was for. So we're accountable. I think that people at the federal level, they're that much further removed from the people they represent. And so maybe they don't feel those same pressures as folks at the local level do. But certainly when you're spending money that is coming from your neighbors, the folks you go to church with, it really makes a difference.

So the last time lawmakers passed all 12 spending bills, I think it was in 1996. And Congress has pretty much since then had been passing last minute omnibus bills and other appropriations bills, wasting money at the last minute and kind of coupling things altogether. What do you think of the status quo we've seen on this and what changes would you like to see if we could have changes? Absolutely. And I went to Leader McConnell. This was a couple years ago when we were passing the Bipartisan Budget Act. And within that act, we had set forward a joint select committee. And I asked Leader McConnell to be on that joint select committee, which would be charged with finding a different way of doing budgets and appropriations. We really,

really needed to reform the process. And he said, wow, normally people don't come asking to be on these types of committees, but he did assign Roy Blunt of Missouri, James Langford of Oklahoma, and David Perdue of Georgia, and I does serve on that committee. We worked diligently for a year, but overall we couldn't come up with an idea that the majority of that joint select committee could get on board with. So a couple of the ideas that I've already discussed, of course, no budget, no pay, no budget, no recess, looking at changing the calendar on what our fiscal calendar would be.

There were a lot of ideas that were suggested, but again, we just couldn't move forward with anything that the majority of the select committee could agree on. And unfortunately, there were so many people that were charged with making reforms that thought that what we were doing right now is absolutely okay, and it's not okay. And so we've got to challenge them and change our behaviors.

Because lawmakers, at least some of them, seem to be so okay with the status quo, what do you think needs to happen on both sides of the aisle for Congress and the Senate to actually pass a budget rather than last minute legislation all the time? Well, I do think it comes down to repercussions to the members. And that's why we felt that those bills, whether it's no budget, no pay, no budget, no recess, it would hold us accountable. but evidently the majority of senators and congressmen don't want to be held accountable because they wouldn't support those measures. So we have to be held accountable. It will be the people that hold us accountable. So you've had a very busy month aside from all the last minute spending legislation stuff you've been working on. You also recently released legislation

called the CREPS Act to address sexual violence. And so I wanted to hear from you about this legislation. You mentioned your own personal experience as a sexual violence survivor and why you think this legislation is needed. So I also love to hear about that. You're bad. And this should be so common sense. And I had someone when I introduced the creeps bill, this gentleman, he said, you would think you wouldn't have to legislate on this. But what the bill does is it would mandate that someone who has been found guilty, not just a crime. but found guilty of sexual assault, they would lose their job as a federal employee. We should not tolerate sexual abuse, whether it's harassment or sexual assault.

We shouldn't tolerate it on our campuses, in our military, anywhere in society, most certainly not in the federal government. You also were back in Iowa recently, and you're wrapping up your 99-county tour that you do each year. Can you tell us about that, what it is, and what you're going to be. you do. It is the best tour ever. And this tour was started and the tradition started many, many years ago by Senator Chuck Grassley. And I've taken on that tradition as well. So I will be wrapping up my 90, or excuse me, my 99 county tour here this week. And I will have done 35 town halls across the state of Iowa this year alone. And we'll have visited all 9,000. And we'll have visited all 99 counties in this year. And so it's really great to get out and visit with the people of Iowa.

I go out to them. They don't have to come out to me. I go out to them. So whether they're on the farm, whether they are at a rural hospital, whether they're greeting me at a town hall, whether I am going to an elementary school to talk to teachers and students, whatever it is, I learned so much about my own state. And I think that that's really important in representing that my beautiful state of Iowa is to get out, know the people, understand their challenges, be able to formulate those solutions, and bring them back to Washington, D.C. That's why they sent me, is to take their challenges and provide them with a voice in those areas. But it's so much fun. I visited the Empty Nest Winery, not all that long ago at Walk On, and it was great. A bunch of

constituents from the area came out, and we were able to learn about this family business and how They converted their farm to a winery. And it was just a very fun stop that Friday evening right before their football game and have also visited other manufacturers. And it makes a difference. Iowans are very proud of what they do and they're proud of their families, their businesses, and they want to showcase those. So I'm glad to be able to do that.

It's a great experience. That's so incredible that you do that, actually taking time going back to each county. That's really awesome. in your visits to all these different counties in Iowa, are there a couple issues that you hear from constituents where they kind of repeat themselves where these are like two or three top of mind issues that you're hearing is them wanting Congress to address?

There are a number of issues that come up repeatedly. And the top two issues, trade, of course, trade in our economy, making sure the USMCA gets over the finish line, making sure that we continue to work with China on a strong trade deal. with China. And then, of course, the cost of pharmaceutical drugs. That's one. Prescription drug prices come up a lot. So health care is on Iowaans' minds, and we want to make sure that we're addressing the issues that they are bringing up consistently. Of course, ethanol is another hot topic,

and we hope that we've found a solution there. The president has really directed the EPA to move in the right direction, and that's because we were able to take all those voices and concerns from Iowa, and share them with the president. So it's been an exciting process, a lot of fun. But Iowans, no matter what corner of the state they're in, those are the top issues. Well, Senator Ernst, thank you so much for joining us today on the Daily Signal podcast. And where can people follow your work if they want to, even if they're not from Iowa, if they want to jump on the bandwagon and get involved and watch what you're doing?

You bet. They can go to Ernst. com. And they can sign up for my newsletters. I send out a squeal award every so often. and folks can follow me there. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you. What a pleasure. Thanks so much.

Do conversations about the Supreme Court leave you scratching your head? If you want to understand what's happening at the court, subscribe to SCOTUS 101, a Heritage Foundation podcast, breaking down the cases, personalities, and gossip at the Supreme Court. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thanks for listening to the Daily Signal podcast brought to you from the Robert H. Bruce radio studio at the Heritage Foundation. Please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify,

and please leave us a review or a rating on iTunes to give us any feedback. Rob and Virginia, we'll see you Monday. The Daily Signal podcast is executive produced by K. Trinko and Daniel Davis.

Sound design by Lauren Evans and Thalia Ramprasad. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.