WASHINGTON — The campaign may be over, but Senator-elect Joni Ernst said she is just getting started.
The recently elected Republican was out in Washington this week. She’s meeting her future colleagues, hiring staffers and seeking advice from longtime Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. She’s also planning to visit every county in Iowa next year.
“There are people that will believe anything they see on television or they read in the paper and they won’t do a fact check, so I think it’s important that I get out and meet with as many people across Iowa as possible and let them know we’re not going to agree on every issue, but I do care what their thoughts are,” Ernst said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press, referring to Democratic efforts to paint her policies as too conservative for the politically moderate state.
Ernst, 44, scored a decisive victory in November, helping the GOP take control of the Senate. She started the race as a relatively unknown state senator but soared to national stardom, promoting her farm upbringing and role as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard.
Looking ahead, Ernst said she hopes to serve on either the armed services or agriculture committees. She plans to focus on issues she addressed during the campaign, like changes to the tax code. She also said she wants to work on preventing sexual assault in the military but wasn’t sure if legislation was needed.
“If we can get a control or get this under control without legislation, I think that’s better,” Ernst said, referring to recent changes made in the military to try to curb sexual assaults.
Ernst said she did not support legislation from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, which would overhaul the military justice system, saying it would have an effect on how the military deals with other unrelated crimes. Gillibrand is seeking a vote on that bill before the end of the year.
Even though Ernst is a freshman, she does enjoy some special attention as a senator from the early voting state of Iowa.
“I think I’ve got a lot of friends out there, which is OK,” said Ernst who plans to remain neutral in the 2016 Republican caucuses. “I welcome everyone with open arms.”
Grassley told the AP that Ernst’s decisive win had increased her visibility and made her one of the best known freshman senators.
“I think she’s getting off to a tremendous start,” he said. “The expectations are high.”