Iowa Senate Democrat Candidate: Joni Ernst ‘Is a Socialist’

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 12: (AFP OUT) Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) participates in a meeting on t
Chris Kleponis - Pool/Getty

Iowa Democrat Senate candidate Theresa Greenfield said recently that Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is a “socialist” for pushing policies such as President Trump’s tax cut legislation.

Sen. Ernst is up for reelection in 2020, and Greenfield, her Democrat challenger, slammed her during a campaign stop at the Coffee Attic in Iowa Falls last week.

Greenfield contended that because the Iowa conservative pushed for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, she advocated for socialist policies, as the tax cuts might have benefitted billionaires as well as middle-class Americans.

Greenfield told a Democrat at the forum, “I’ve had two reporters ask me that very question about being a socialist.” She added, “I (told them) Joni’s a socialist. I run a small business. I provide jobs. I keep the lights on and every other Thursday, with pride, I sign paychecks. Joni votes for tax bills that give handouts to billionaires. That’s socialism.”

Besides lowering the income tax rates for most Americans, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also raised the standard deduction and increased the Child Tax Credit. Further, the Trump tax cuts eliminated the Obamacare individual mandate; 80 percent of those who paid the individual mandate fine made less than $50,000 per year.

An overwhelming majority of Americans received a tax cut in 2018, thanks to the Trump tax cuts.

Greenfield ran for Iowa’s Third Congressional District seat in 2018 but dropped out after finding out her campaign manager falsified signatures on petitions to qualify her for the ballot.

The Iowa Democrats’ remarks serve as an interesting contrast as Greenfield plans to attend a rally with self-proclaimed Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) this Sunday:

Greenfield’s controversial remarks have confused local radio personalities, who remain confused as to how Sen. Ernst, who advocates for conservative policies, is a socialist:

Meanwhile, Sen. Ernst has pursued policies to make Washington, DC, “squeal” and rein in government spending.

The Iowa senator unveiled her bill, the SWAG Act, on Breitbart News Daily. Its purpose is to cut wasteful government spending for public relations via mascots, koozies, and fidget spinners.

Further, while many Democrats remain “wrapped up” in impeachment “fervor,” Sen. Ernst has pushed to help Iowans by working to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade 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.”

Ernst added:

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.

“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.

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