Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do we welcome Iowa US Senator Jony Ernst back to
the program for a few minutes.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Senator, good morning, Hey, good morning Gary.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Thank you excellent they have you with us. And one
of the latest pieces of news relative to this preposterous
government shutdown is that what is it about ten percent
of flights are going to be either reduced severely or
cut back because of the shortage of air traffic controllers
(00:28):
at the most highly high busy airports. Is anything going
to move the needle with these Democrats as far as
having five of them to vote to end the shutdown,
I hope.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
So, Gary, and we do have at least I would
say between ten and twelve of the Democrats that in
one way or another have expressed a desire to open
the federal government. But there is always such a great
fear of retaliation from Schumer. During the Schumer shutdown, you know,
(01:02):
he has such a tight fist. You know, it's literally
his hand around the necks of all these Democrats and
keeping them in line. So if we can just get
that handful of Democrats to you know, cross their leader
and join us and doing the right thing and opening
(01:23):
the federal government, Uh, it would be so much better.
And then you know, as the President has promised at
that point, he's happy to negotiate on you know, their
demands on Obamacare. So let's open the federal government. Let's
put this to bed. We're wasting taxpayer money. We have
(01:44):
air traffic traffic that will be disrupted over one of
our biggest holiday seasons. We know it's unsafe having weary, weary,
worn out air traffic controllers working overtime shifts, additional shifts.
We can keep doing this to them, and they are
not getting paid right now. We have snap benefits that
(02:06):
have run out. We have Women, Infants and Children fund
that has run short on dollars. You know, he's not
Chuck Schumer's not worried about any He doesn't care. If
he cared, he would be allowing the Democrats to join
us in opening up the federal government. But you are
absolutely correct. It's going to start impacting not just those
(02:28):
that are vulnerable and live with the assistant the food assistants,
but also just the traveling public. It's going to affect everyone.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It is. Well. Yeah, Pete regenstalled us that, unlike the Republicans,
the Democrat Caucus as a rule, where the leader can
strip people of their committee assignments if he doesn't like
the way they vote. So that's his leverage, I.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Guess, yeah, absolutely, And it's the control of the committee assignments.
But also, you know, in addition to that, think about
during campaign election times, the funding of different candidates larger
part is determined by the leader. So Chuck Schumer will
(03:13):
be the one telling donors, yes, give to this campaign,
give to that campaign, And if they're on the outs
with Chuck Schumer, he's going to direct more money away
from those campaigns into other campaigns. So yeah, it's a
it's a rough situation for him, I get it, but
you know what their constituents are suffering.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, no doubt. You also are doing some work, Senator
right to try to get more information out there about
get to the bottom of the origin of the COVID
disaster that we had five years ago. What's happening.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yes, absolutely, we continue to push on that. And while
I don't know that we'll ever have a very conclusive,
you know, detailed response to where it came from, you know,
I and many others in various intelligence agencies believe that
the origins did come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(04:08):
There has been such a huge cover up there. But
in addition to the finding out the origins of COVID,
we also know that the federal our federal government expended
a lot of money during that period of time. You know,
four and a half trillion dollars was shoveled out the
door by the federal government with I mean truly a
(04:29):
good purpose of trying to keep small businesses in you know,
in business, trying to help out those that were suffering
because of COVID. But we still have a slush fund
out there for COVID, and it's at the tune of
sixty five billion dollars. And you know what, when we
(04:50):
are a country that's thirty eight trillion dollars in debt,
we shouldn't have secret slush fund.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
What's that do I have? What's that being used for?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, it's it is set aside. And think about it.
All these different programs that the federal government established during
COVID to support small businesses, or to encourage outdoor entertainment,
you know, things like that. There is still money sitting
in those funds again that were established during COVID for
(05:20):
COVID uses. It's still out there, and so we've seen examples.
You know, I detail this with all of my squeal work.
The COVID cash was spent on things like drag shows
for high school students, an ice cream truck in California,
massage chairs in Montana. I mean, you name it. They
were throwing money at it. But there's sixty five billion
(05:43):
dollars still sitting in those funds. So what I am
saying is, and I have a bill to do this.
It's returning Unspent COVID Funds Act, and it would claw
back that sixty five billion dollars and help us bring
our debt down, you know, spend it on things that
we need to be spending it on, not on COVID.
(06:05):
You know, you name it. We're not in COVID anymore. Gary,
I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, you know what I'm sad to say. I mean,
it's always difficult to get sixty votes on anything, but
now with the absolute true radicals having captured the Democratic Party,
they're not going to vote for anything that Mom Donnie
doesn't want, that AOC doesn't want that, these radicals don't want.
(06:31):
You can't get anything done.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, it has been really difficult, but I do think
we're at an impasse here. Tonight we are going to
take a first vote in the series where I hope
we can gain Democrats support and allow them to move forward.
I mean, it's just become so untenable, so you know,
we need to shake some of them loose. We've got
some more discussions I'm sure we'll be having with some
(06:55):
of our Democratic friends across the aisle and hopefully they
vote with us to night. But yes, socialism is on
the rise, and we saw this Tuesday with the election
of that mom Donnie out in New York City. But
you know my message there is, hey, if if you
don't want to be part of that socialist, communist mess,
(07:18):
hey we welcome you in the Heartland. Just don't bring
your crazy politics with you. If you want, if you
want common sense, you know, the hawk Iron State is
the place to be.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Do you think there's a chance that John Fetterman is
thinking about switching to the Democrat or to the Republican Party.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I don't think he will ever become a Republican, but certainly,
you know it is possible that he would become an
independent like we saw many of those disenfranchised Democrats do.
I think he still has some philosophical differences with the
Republican Party, but most certainly he has been just a
(07:56):
true ally in moving forward on this government shut down nightmare.
He has voted to open the federal government every single
time with us, and I'm grateful for that.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Senator Jonny ern Say, thanks you again for the time
this morning. Always good to have you on.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Absolutely Gary, Thanks so much.
Do we welcome Iowa US Senator Jony Ernst back to
the program for a few minutes.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Senator, good morning, Hey, good morning Gary.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Thank you excellent they have you with us. And one
of the latest pieces of news relative to this preposterous
government shutdown is that what is it about ten percent
of flights are going to be either reduced severely or
cut back because of the shortage of air traffic controllers
(00:28):
at the most highly high busy airports. Is anything going
to move the needle with these Democrats as far as
having five of them to vote to end the shutdown,
I hope.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
So, Gary, and we do have at least I would
say between ten and twelve of the Democrats that in
one way or another have expressed a desire to open
the federal government. But there is always such a great
fear of retaliation from Schumer. During the Schumer shutdown, you know,
(01:02):
he has such a tight fist. You know, it's literally
his hand around the necks of all these Democrats and
keeping them in line. So if we can just get
that handful of Democrats to you know, cross their leader
and join us and doing the right thing and opening
(01:23):
the federal government, Uh, it would be so much better.
And then you know, as the President has promised at
that point, he's happy to negotiate on you know, their
demands on Obamacare. So let's open the federal government. Let's
put this to bed. We're wasting taxpayer money. We have
(01:44):
air traffic traffic that will be disrupted over one of
our biggest holiday seasons. We know it's unsafe having weary, weary,
worn out air traffic controllers working overtime shifts, additional shifts.
We can keep doing this to them, and they are
not getting paid right now. We have snap benefits that
(02:06):
have run out. We have Women, Infants and Children fund
that has run short on dollars. You know, he's not
Chuck Schumer's not worried about any He doesn't care. If
he cared, he would be allowing the Democrats to join
us in opening up the federal government. But you are
absolutely correct. It's going to start impacting not just those
(02:28):
that are vulnerable and live with the assistant the food assistants,
but also just the traveling public. It's going to affect everyone.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It is. Well. Yeah, Pete regenstalled us that, unlike the Republicans,
the Democrat Caucus as a rule, where the leader can
strip people of their committee assignments if he doesn't like
the way they vote. So that's his leverage, I.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Guess, yeah, absolutely, And it's the control of the committee assignments.
But also, you know, in addition to that, think about
during campaign election times, the funding of different candidates larger
part is determined by the leader. So Chuck Schumer will
(03:13):
be the one telling donors, yes, give to this campaign,
give to that campaign, And if they're on the outs
with Chuck Schumer, he's going to direct more money away
from those campaigns into other campaigns. So yeah, it's a
it's a rough situation for him, I get it, but
you know what their constituents are suffering.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, no doubt. You also are doing some work, Senator
right to try to get more information out there about
get to the bottom of the origin of the COVID
disaster that we had five years ago. What's happening.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yes, absolutely, we continue to push on that. And while
I don't know that we'll ever have a very conclusive,
you know, detailed response to where it came from, you know,
I and many others in various intelligence agencies believe that
the origins did come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(04:08):
There has been such a huge cover up there. But
in addition to the finding out the origins of COVID,
we also know that the federal our federal government expended
a lot of money during that period of time. You know,
four and a half trillion dollars was shoveled out the
door by the federal government with I mean truly a
(04:29):
good purpose of trying to keep small businesses in you know,
in business, trying to help out those that were suffering
because of COVID. But we still have a slush fund
out there for COVID, and it's at the tune of
sixty five billion dollars. And you know what, when we
(04:50):
are a country that's thirty eight trillion dollars in debt,
we shouldn't have secret slush fund.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
What's that do I have? What's that being used for?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, it's it is set aside. And think about it.
All these different programs that the federal government established during
COVID to support small businesses, or to encourage outdoor entertainment,
you know, things like that. There is still money sitting
in those funds again that were established during COVID for
(05:20):
COVID uses. It's still out there, and so we've seen examples.
You know, I detail this with all of my squeal work.
The COVID cash was spent on things like drag shows
for high school students, an ice cream truck in California,
massage chairs in Montana. I mean, you name it. They
were throwing money at it. But there's sixty five billion
(05:43):
dollars still sitting in those funds. So what I am
saying is, and I have a bill to do this.
It's returning Unspent COVID Funds Act, and it would claw
back that sixty five billion dollars and help us bring
our debt down, you know, spend it on things that
we need to be spending it on, not on COVID.
(06:05):
You know, you name it. We're not in COVID anymore. Gary,
I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, you know what I'm sad to say. I mean,
it's always difficult to get sixty votes on anything, but
now with the absolute true radicals having captured the Democratic Party,
they're not going to vote for anything that Mom Donnie
doesn't want, that AOC doesn't want that, these radicals don't want.
(06:31):
You can't get anything done.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, it has been really difficult, but I do think
we're at an impasse here. Tonight we are going to
take a first vote in the series where I hope
we can gain Democrats support and allow them to move forward.
I mean, it's just become so untenable, so you know,
we need to shake some of them loose. We've got
some more discussions I'm sure we'll be having with some
(06:55):
of our Democratic friends across the aisle and hopefully they
vote with us to night. But yes, socialism is on
the rise, and we saw this Tuesday with the election
of that mom Donnie out in New York City. But
you know my message there is, hey, if if you
don't want to be part of that socialist, communist mess,
(07:18):
hey we welcome you in the Heartland. Just don't bring
your crazy politics with you. If you want, if you
want common sense, you know, the hawk Iron State is
the place to be.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Do you think there's a chance that John Fetterman is
thinking about switching to the Democrat or to the Republican Party.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I don't think he will ever become a Republican, but certainly,
you know it is possible that he would become an
independent like we saw many of those disenfranchised Democrats do.
I think he still has some philosophical differences with the
Republican Party, but most certainly he has been just a
(07:56):
true ally in moving forward on this government shut down nightmare.
He has voted to open the federal government every single
time with us, and I'm grateful for that.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Senator Jonny ern Say, thanks you again for the time
this morning. Always good to have you on.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Absolutely Gary, Thanks so much.
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