Ernst makes Clay County Fair stop on 99-county tour

Source: Spencer Daily Reporter

By Hanna Russmann

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, made the 97th stop on her 99-county tour at the Clay County Fair Saturday morning.

As she took in the fair, Ernst stopped to speak with fairgoers about different issues and events going on in the U.S. Senate.

"It's been phenomenal, and we've had great weather today," Ernst said. "... I stopped to talk to fairgoers as we went through the cattle barns and at the events center. So far there has been a lot of interest in the 2016 presidential candidates, jobs, the economy, rural development and agriculture. I talked to a couple of veterans about the Iranian Nuclear Deal and they noted how upset they are with the outcome. What this tells me is Iowans really pay attention to what is going on."

She added, "This tour is important because we want to know what Iowans are thinking. We want to be educated on the challenges our small businesses, farmers and ranchers face across the state. It's the best way to learn about what is going on in these communities across the state."

While at the fair, Ernst spoke about her opposition to the Iranian Nuclear Deal.

"The deal when originally proposed would have ended nuclear uranium enrichment in Iran and would have allowed for anytime, anywhere inspections," she said. "Those were the goals, and we didn't meet any of them. In the end, we have a very bad deal, and that deal allows Iran to continue enriching uranium, which sets them on the path to nuclear armament. It doesn't allow anytime, anywhere inspections, which is a great failure in this deal. But, beyond that, we have allowed some extra things to happen."

Also included in the deal are $150 billion of economic sanctions relief and the allowance of Iran to purchase advanced conventional weapons in the next five years.

"We also know that they are a state sponsor of terrorism providing funding to groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen Houthi and the Shia militias in Iraq," she added.

Closer to home, Ernst has been focused on passing a resolution to disapprove a rule submitted by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers that expands the scope of federal authority over land and waterways in the U.S. under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as WOTUS.

"Their are 47 of us total on this bill that is part of the Congressional Review Act," Ernst explained. "I have heard from Iowans who are very upset about this rule. This is big government bureaucracy and a lot of extra red tape. It is very confusing to people who don't know if they fall under the rule or not. There is no guidance provided by the Corps of Engineers or the EPA on this rule. ... We need rules and regulations but this one simply goes way too far."

Ernst noted she will be working with her allies across the aisle to garner enough votes to pass her counter measure to WOTUS.

Another issue that Ernst is focused on passing are appropriation bills in order to fund the government.

"We know we need to fund the government, and to do that we need to bring these appropriation bills up to make sure our government is running effectively," she said. "If we continue to block these bills, we will not be able to fund the government."

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