Top 65 Quotes & Sayings by Joni Ernst

We want Iowa to remain red. We have worked so hard to get here. We will not be a purple state: we will be a red state.

Taxpayers should not be on the hook for subsidizing former presidents' lives to the tune of millions of dollars.

I do believe that we need to lower taxes on our hard working Iowans immediately.

You have to be a leader with a vision, and you have to show Iowans that you want it... and not just a woman.

I can tell you that the Iowa way - the Iowa way is to find out that there is a problem and acknowledge it and address it head-on.

My parents taught us to live within our means. It's time to force Washington to do the same.

I have never once claimed that I have a Combat Action Badge. I have never claimed that I have a Purple Heart. What I have claimed is that I have served in a combat zone.

I grew up in southwest Iowa, on a farm north of Stanton, Iowa, which is a tiny little town, a farming community. I went to Iowa State University and joined Army ROTC while I was there and just have had such a phenomenal life. I am a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The state knows best how to protect resources.

I am very proud of my service, and by law, I am defined as a combat veteran.

We have to have somebody that will express conservative views, of course, and I'm looking for somebody that is very Reaganesque. Someone that can reach all aspects of our voting population here in America.

It was only by luck and the blessings of God that my soldiers did not encounter an assault, that we did not run over an IED. And to dishonor our service by saying we're not worthy of being called combat veterans is insulting to the majority of men and women who serve their country honorably.

As a young girl, I plowed the fields of our family farm. I worked construction with my dad. To save for college, I worked the morning biscuit line at Hardees.

I am deeply concerned for the safety of our people brought by a lack of a comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIL.

We are way overstepping bounds as federal legislators.

Let's shut down the EPA.

Americans have been hurting, but when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It's a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions.

Cleaning up the mess in Washington is gonna take a whole lot of Iowa common sense.

I do not support a federal minimum wage. I think every state has a different economy, a different cost of living. I don't believe that's the role of the federal government.

I have a beautiful little Smith & Wesson, 9 millimeter, and it goes with me virtually everywhere. But I do believe in the right to carry, and I believe in the right to defend myself and my family - whether it's from an intruder or whether it's from the government, should they decide that my rights are no longer important.

The push for 'Meatless Mondays' in our military is misguided at best and goes against dietary guidelines. Our men and women in uniform should have the option to consume the protein they need, including meat, on a daily basis.

Growing up, I had only one good pair of shoes. So on rainy school days, my mom would slip plastic bread bags over them to keep them dry. But I was never embarrassed. Because the school bus would be filled with rows and rows of young Iowans with bread bags slipped over their feet.

I think we do have cyclic changes in weather, and I think that's been throughout the course of history.

Our fighters would be nowhere if they didn't have the support coming from folks like those that served with me.

When I get to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork. Washington is full of big spenders. Let's make them squeal.

I don't know the science behind climate change. I can't say one way or another what is the direct impact, whether it's man-made or not.

It's time to stop spending money we don't have and balance the budget.

I believe that businesses will do what is best for their business. I don't know that the government needs to be stepping in and telling them, 'This is what you will do.'

I say scrap the IRS. Let's start all over again.

In the fields of southwest Iowa, my parents and grandparents worked and sacrificed. Like so many Iowans, the American Dream for them was never about wealth or fame. Their dream was to leave their children and grandchildren a better life, with greater opportunity, than their own.

Republicans think tax filing should be easier for you, not just the well-connected.

There's a lot we can achieve if we work together.

Those that have received care here in Des Moines at the VA center or the VA hospital here have said that they do receive good care. However, it's getting into the system - the wait periods. We have to do something about that. The care here has been good. We're not seeing that in other states.

It's not enough to be a woman. You have to care about women's issues. And women's issues here in Iowa are that we have a strong economy. We have jobs that our sons and daughters can go off to someday. We have a great educational system. And women want strong national defense. We want to know that our families are going to be safe.

The forces of violence and oppression don't care about the innocent.

I believe that wholeheartedly - that we have to maintain a strong national defense.

You have to be committed to expand rights and opportunities for all women.

I am a woman and, second, I have been to war. I am a combat veteran. This is not a war on women, and anytime Democrats use the word 'war,' they need to do it to honor our servicemen and women.

As a veteran, I believe we have a responsibility to take care of all our men and women who have served - and I will fight to fix the crisis at the Veterans Administration caused by negligent leadership in Washington.

As a soldier and combat veteran, I believe American military forces should only be used in the defense and furtherance of our nation's vital interests.

I do believe in the right to carry, and I believe in the right to defend myself and my family -- whether it's from an intruder, or whether it's from a government, should they decide that my rights are no longer important.

I have a beautiful little Smith & Wesson, 9 millimeter, and it goes with me virtually everywhere.

Healthcare should be about market driven solutions, not government mandates.

It will take hard work, but doing nothing on Social Security, for example, simply makes sure the system will go broke. It's time to make some reforms.

Over the longer term, we need to work toward a pro-growth tax code that is fairer and simpler than what we have now. Anything that meets those criteria is going to be better than the failing and dysfunctional tax code we have today.

In the Iowa senate, I helped pass the largest tax cut in state history - returning over four billion dollars in savings and putting more money back in the pockets of hard-working Iowa families.

You don't need to come from wealth or privilege to make a difference.

I worked the morning biscuit line at Hardee's.

We need to balance the budget and force Washington to stop spending more than it takes in.

I grew up working for the minimum wage at Hardee's and knows first hand how important the minimum wage is. I support a state based minimum wage so every state can set their own minimum wage based on their cost of living.

Healthcare costs are rising due to Obamacare.

We need to repeal and replace Obamacare. It is the largest tax in U.S. history, has proven to be a job-killer, and has driven up the cost of healthcare.

I don’t know the science behind climate change.

I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm, so when I come to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork.

Let’s shut down the EPA. The state knows best how to protect resources.

What's right for New York or California, is not necessarily right for Iowa.

You just need the freedom to dream big and a whole lot of hard work.

I don't know the science behind climate change. I can't say one way or another what is the direct impact, whether it's man-made or not. I've heard arguments from both sides, but I do believe in protecting our environment, but without the job killing regulations that are coming out of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In the U.S. Senate, in the short term we need to reduce the tax burden on hard working individuals, families, and small businesses.

Iowans are feeling the pinch of a big federal government, and elected officials like Bruce Braley keep championing the over reaching bureaucracy. Iowans know what is best for Iowa more than Washington politicians and bureaucrats do.