Joni Ernst

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst is a strong advocate for cutting federal spending and reducing the national debt. She supports lower taxes, opposes large spending packages she views as inflationary, and has been a vocal critic of what she calls government waste. She has published annual "Make 'Em Squeal" reports identifying federal spending she argues should be eliminated.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst has consistently opposed the Affordable Care Act and supported its repeal. She favors market-based reforms including expanded health savings accounts, greater price transparency, and allowing insurance competition across state lines to lower costs without federal mandates.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst supports strong border security measures, including completing physical barriers, ending catch-and-release policies, and stricter enforcement of immigration law. She opposes amnesty programs and broadly favors reducing illegal immigration before addressing legal immigration reform.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst supports school choice, parental rights in education, and reducing federal involvement in local school decisions. She has backed legislation expanding education savings accounts and opposes federal curriculum mandates she argues undermine local control.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights and has consistently opposed new gun control legislation. She supports enforcing existing firearms laws more effectively rather than adding new restrictions, and has defended the rights of Iowa hunters, farmers, and rural residents to own firearms.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst supports American energy production including oil, gas, and agriculture-based biofuels, and is skeptical of aggressive federal climate regulations she argues raise costs for Iowa farmers and families. She has expressed interest in market-based conservation approaches and supports renewable energy development where it does not impose regulatory burdens.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst, a combat veteran, is a strong supporter of the U.S. military and robust defense spending. She supports maintaining U.S. alliances and has backed aid for partners facing adversary aggression, while also pressing allies to meet their defense spending commitments.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst has called for reforms to ensure Social Security's long-term solvency, including structural changes aimed at future beneficiaries rather than current retirees. She opposes payroll tax increases as the mechanism for closing the program's funding gap.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

Joni Ernst

Senator Ernst strongly supports law enforcement and prioritizes public safety in her criminal justice approach. She has focused on combating drug trafficking, including fentanyl flowing across the southern border, and has backed funding for law enforcement agencies.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.