Joni Ernst: Iowa needs Chuck Grassley now more than ever

Returning Chuck Grassley to the U.S. Senate is good for the taxpayer, better for good government, and hands down what’s best for Iowa.

Joni Ernst Guest columnist

As the first female combat veteran elected to the United States Senate, I brought battleground experience to Washington that helped me navigate the partisan arrows and regional skirmishes that divide lawmakers into different camps depending on the issue.

My experience as a county auditor and state legislator informed my approach for listening to folks at home and understanding their problems. As a commanding officer, my leadership skills were sharpened to trust my instincts and analyze every angle of a challenge to complete the mission.

My life experience growing up on a small family farm in southwest Iowa taught me the dignity of hard work and about the challenges our farmers face to put food on the table and provide for families. When I got to the policy-making tables in the U.S. Senate, I was ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work, just as I’d learned in my early days on the farm. 

After taking my oath of office in 2015, I had the benefit of a not-so-secret weapon for success. The senior senator from Iowa was, hands down, my boots-on-the-ground mentor and go-to sounding board and resource. Chuck Grassley is a highly respected leader on both sides of the aisle whose legislative expertise is invaluable, especially on issues critical to our home state of Iowa. No one has a deeper understanding of Senate rules, processes, and procedures. He can get into the weeds of tax, trade, and health care policies and understands how proposed changes in law would hurt or help Iowa farms, small businesses, and health care providers. 

Chuck’s not looking for a sound bite when he sinks his teeth into complex issues that are important to Iowans, like obscure funding formulas that impact Iowa’s share of highway dollars and resources for block grants for law enforcement, domestic violence, and foster care. Chuck Grassley carries institutional knowledge of public policy with an uncommon understanding of how antitrust and livestock reporting laws impact cattle prices or how patent reforms would unlock savings on prescription medicine for our seniors. 

His grasp of renewable energy policies is second to none. When folks try to mess with the Renewable Fuel Standard, they immediately learn what locking horns with an Iowa farmer feels like. Chuck knows how important homegrown renewable energy is for the environment and our economy. We worked side by side this year to press the USDA to deliver much-needed pandemic relief for biofuels producers. Now we’re standing shoulder to shoulder to make sure the Biden administration doesn’t leave biofuel behind with its agenda to push electric vehicles. 

Iowans have come to count on Chuck Grassley for good reason. He’s a leader of integrity and decency who’s hard-wired to work. This year, he completed his 41st annual 99-county tour of our state. His incomparable determination to connect with Iowans has developed robust civic participation and engagement among people in our state from all walks of life. For the past seven years, I’ve been proud to carry on this same tradition. The “full Grassley” helps us bring kitchen table issues to the policy table and make a real difference for Iowans.

I’m thrilled Chuck Grassley is running for re-election because we have more important work to do here in the U.S. Senate. For example, we’re working on bipartisan legislation to reform how the military handles sexual assault crimes, cut prescription drug costs, and expand biofuel access for clean energy solutions in America.

Returning Chuck Grassley to the U.S. Senate is good for the taxpayer, better for good government, and hands down what’s best for Iowa. Iowans count on Chuck Grassley. He’s my partner and my biggest champion, and I need him back in the Senate. Our great country needs him now more than ever to hold the line on the Democrats’ reckless spending spree and stop socialism from destroying the American Dream.

Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, Iowa, is the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate.