Joni Ernst Takes a Chainsaw to Washington Waste

In an era where bloated bureaucracies and runaway government spending have become the norm in Washington, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is proving to be a refreshing and much-needed disruptor. Leading the Senate’s DOGE Caucus (Decluttering Our Government Efforts), Ernst has already chalked up over $15 billion in savings for American taxpayers — and she’s not slowing down.

“The days of bureaucrats ‘working’ from their bubble bath are over,” Ernst said, "and hardworking folks will no longer see their tax dollars fund Sesame Street in Iraq, the California Crazy Trains, or partisan propaganda at NPR. There is a lot more waste, fraud, and abuse that I will soon be putting on the chopping block."

Last November, Ernst personally delivered a waste-cutting blueprint to President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Since then, the results have been fast and impressive. With Republicans back in charge and President Trump steering the ship, Ernst’s commonsense, taxpayer-first agenda is finally getting the traction it deserves.

Already in the first seven months of the Trump presidency and GOP-controlled Congress, Ernst’s roadmap has saved Americans more than $15.1 billion. That’s not theoretical savings — that's real money back in the pockets of hardworking families.

One of Ernst’s biggest wins? Helping end the absurdly expensive and endlessly delayed California high-speed rail project, affectionately dubbed the “Crazy Train.” After years of fighting this progressive pipe dream, Ernst helped secure the clawback of $4 billion in unspent funds. California Democrats may cry foul, but taxpayers are breathing a sigh of relief.

And it doesn’t stop there. Ernst has exposed and helped shut down egregious waste at USAID — from $203,000 spent sending models to fashion week to millions funneled into foreign Sesame Street programming and tourism ads for dangerous countries. It’s the kind of spending only a bureaucrat could justify — and Ernst isn’t having it.

Through her push to expose federal telework abuse, Ernst helped spark a wider effort to get government workers back into the office. Her efforts have already resulted in massive savings — like $1.9 billion from deferred maintenance on federal buildings that are empty more than they’re used. In fact, two major agencies — HUD and USDA — are now vacating their underutilized headquarters thanks to Ernst's pressure. Her longstanding call to consolidate and sell off these buildings is finally bearing fruit.

Ernst’s legislative wins are stacking up. Her amendment to end unemployment checks to millionaires alone is projected to save $100 million. She’s also pushing to eliminate taxpayer-funded union time — a practice where federal employees are paid by taxpayers while doing union work instead of their actual jobs. The VA has already taken steps in that direction, and Ernst’s Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallet Act aims to expand those reforms across the board.

She even helped stop the U.S. Mint from producing pennies — a net money loser for the government — and helped pave the way for banning federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function research in hostile countries like China and Iran.

What sets Ernst apart is her relentless focus on results, not rhetoric. Her watchdog efforts have identified $13 billion in unspent funds from projects riddled with $162.9 billion in cost overruns — money ripe for rescission and return to taxpayers. And she's coming for NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting next, having already laid the case for defunding propaganda-prone outlets that push a partisan agenda on the public dime.

Ernst isn’t just complaining about government waste — she’s rooting it out, exposing it, and shutting it down. In her words:

“If you cannot find waste in Washington, there is only one reason – you did not look," she added.

Thanks to her leadership, taxpayers finally have someone in their corner. The swamp may not like it, but Senator Ernst is proving that with grit, persistence, and a good pair of shears, even the thickest vines of government waste can be cut back.

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