Sen. Joni Ernst has a ten-year record of identifying waste, fraud, and abuse in government projects and came into office with the tagline “Make ’Em Squeal.” With a record like this, it was no surprise that she was tapped to lead the Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus. Also unsurprisingly, DOGE has angered many on the left who have not stopped squealing about its work and have now decided to launch an old-fashioned smear campaign against this mother, Iowan leader, and Army veteran.
Ernst’s war on waste has been effective across the federal government – forcing federal bureaucrats back to the office, selling off underutilized and vacant federal office space, auditing the IRS, and exposing tax evaders at the agency.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Ernst has worked diligently to ensure the Pentagon discloses the costs of its projects that are funded by the federal government and championed efforts to end redundant and bogus spending.
The senator has been calling for the timely completion of a financial audit of the Department of Defense for years, in order to ensure accountability and transparency while also identifying savings for the taxpayer.
In 2019, she recognized the Pentagon for wasteful government spending, citing its purchase of 25 coffee cups with a price tag of $1,220 each and its award of an almost $4 million grant to determine whether junk food is more distracting than healthy food.
Sen. Ernst is a sexual assault survivor who came to the U.S. Senate as the first female combat veteran. She has been a leader in pushing the military to reform its handling of sexual assault cases. Working in a bipartisan way, she introduced the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act that would professionalize how the military prosecutes serious crimes by moving the decision to prosecute from the chain of command to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors.
The senator has no problem standing up to her brothers and sisters in the military and demanding better. To think a strong leader such as this might be unduly influenced in matters of the military is insulting. It’s insulting to women and it’s insulting to anyone wearing the uniform.
Sen. Ernst distributes monthly “Squeal Awards” to those who act piggish by wasting taxpayer dollars. Perhaps she should create a special round of Squeal Awards in response to this left-wing smear campaign:
The first award goes to Pro-Publica, the donor-funded news organization that considers itself an “independent, nonprofit newsroom,” which published the piece trying to discredit the senator. It is no surprise that Pro-Publica skews left; it’s funded by George Soros and cranks out hit piece after hit piece on conservative Supreme Court justices, Republican members of Congress, and other leaders on the right. A sloppy innuendo-filled “article” about a strong Republican woman leader working to support President Trump’s DOGE mission is no surprise.
The second award goes to Virginia Canter, an “ethics expert,” who served as associate counsel to President Clinton at the White House, where she provided advice on ethics. Just ask Monica Lewinsky how that turned out. Canter currently works for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and, not surprisingly, this organization sued the DOGE Service last month. It seems a bit too cozy that someone affiliated with CREW is the only named source and is extensively quoted throughout the hit piece.
The third and final award goes to anyone who reads the defamatory article and doesn’t consider it flimsy nonsense. Sen. Ernst should show the same resolve and soldier spirit she has shown throughout her career and continue pressing on with her hard work despite those seeking to slander her.
Don’t stop making ’em squeal, Senator.
