Ernst Completes 9th Annual River to River Tour
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – With her 99th stop today at Sammons Financial Group in Dallas County, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) officially finished her River to River Tour – her ninth consecutive year completing the annual tradition of visiting every single one of Iowa’s 99 counties. To celebrate, per tradition, Ernst enjoyed a slice of Casey’s pizza.
“At the end of the day, Iowans know what is best for Iowa, and it’s my job to bring their voices loud and clear to Washington,” said Senator Ernst. “Our government is designed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people, and that’s why I’m committed to hearing from Iowans in every corner and county, including holding frequent public town halls and speaking with members of the local press. It is my honor and privilege to represent the people of our great state in the Senate!
“Without a doubt, folks are frustrated with the Biden administration and the state of our nation. Stop after stop, I heard directly from small business owners, farmers, and families about the impact of Bidenomics and rising costs on their daily lives. As the Senate’s biggest foe of wasteful spending, I’ll continue to voice these concerns and fight for a more responsible and accountable Washington,” said Ernst.
Here are some highlights from this year’s River to River tour:
Small Businesses
As Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, each week, Ernst recognizes an outstanding small business to designate as her Small Business of the Week. On this year’s tour, Ernst visited a number of main streets and small towns to hear directly from family-owned and locally-run businesses and their employees. The common thread between each stop was the challenges entrepreneurs are currently facing due to inflation and a lack of affordable childcare options.
To support these job creators, Ernst is working to limit burdensome regulations on small businesses and expandaccess to Small Business Administration (SBA) loan opportunities to bring more childcare slots to our communities.
Farmers, Ranchers, and Producers
From her childhood of walking beans and feeding hogs, Ernst knows firsthand the hard work being done by our farmers. This year, Ernst met with farmers, ranchers, and producers to hear about the top issues they face, including high input costs, mandates out of liberal California, and a workforce shortage, and how she can protect our valuable land and deliver real results for Iowa’s agricultural community in the upcoming Farm Bill.
Veterans
As a combat veteran, Ernst is dedicated to ensuring that the U.S. lives up to the promises made to our veterans. In addition to offering help with the Department of Veterans Affairs at every town hall meeting, this year, Ernstassisted veterans with food insecurity and spoke about housing solutions for vulnerable vets.
Two Ernst-led, bipartisan bills, including the Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act and Improving VA Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act, were signed into law earlier this year.
Health Care
From streamlining children’s health care research to bringing more doctors to our state, Ernst is committed to helping Iowans receive the care they deserve.
During her tours, Ernst met with health care administrators, disability caretakers, sober-living advocates, and more to hear their ideas to improve heath care across Iowa.
Families and Communities
Ernst has made hearing from and supporting Iowa’s families and communities a key priority on this year’s River to River Tour. Ernst visited schools, community food pantries, cultural institutions, and more, in addition to holding frequent town hall meetings.
