Ernst finds Elkader crowd willing to talk — and listen

ELKADER — U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, fielded questions on everything from Syria and Russia to health care and public education Monday night in Elkader during her seventh town hall.

Her answers were met with occasional jeers, but overall, Ernst said the Clayton County crowd of more than 200 was the most polite town hall crowd she's seen recently.

'They allowed me to talk through what I thought was the issues and what I thought was the solution,' she said afterward. 'I think people are understanding that I do want to listen to them and that I do truly care. ... I wish more of our elected representatives were getting out there and hearing what their constituents had to say because there is a lot of angst out there, a lot of fear and a lot of confusion.'

The No. 1 concern on Iowans' minds, she said, is health care — a topic that surfaced repeatedly during the hourlong event at Central Community School.

'Health care is one of the hottest topics we've seen this session,' Ernst said to the crowd over a smattering of applause. 'One thing I've heard is that the Affordable Care Act, as it exists right now, is not so affordable.'

Last week, two insurance companies — Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Aetna — announced they would no longer sell individual health care plans on or off the Iowa exchange, citing high costs and political uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act after House Republicans were unable to pass repeal-and-replace Obamacre.

Ernst told the crowd about a conversation she had two days ago with a pastor who also works at a free clinic in Iowa. A diabetic couple, who have insurance, come in to use the clinic's services because they can't afford their out-of-pocket expenses.

'That is a big issue, folks,' she said. 'The ACA may work for some folks but is failing other families.'

When an audience member countered that her health insurance purchased outside the exchange also has high premiums and deductibles, Ernst conceded that rising prescription drug costs and the overall health care industry costs are part of the problem.

Leanne Davis of Waterloo wanted to know how Ernst could support President Donald Trump, who Davis said is a liar and egomaniac.

'If you would not tolerate that type of person on staff, why would you tolerate that as president?' she asked.

Ernst replied by saying that she is willing to stand up to Trump on issues where she disagrees with him — including on trade and Russia — and is willing to work on bipartisan solutions with Democratic lawmakers.

'When proposing bills, I look for members with same shared passion,' she said. 'If we want legislation to work, we need to find partners on the other side.'

Audience members also expressed concerns about Trump's environmental policies, his desire to cut funding for AmeriCorps volunteers and educational policies.

'I came out of a public school education,' she said. 'I've loved it. It's one of reasons why, when my husband retired, we moved back to Iowa.'

But, Ernst continued, not every state has the kind of public education that Iowa does, and she said it's important to give families the opportunity to choose between charter schools and public schools.

She promised to hold new U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos accountable, adding she is watching out for all children in every kind of learning environment.

Earlier in the day, Ernst spoke to about 100 people at a Rotary meeting in Waterloo regarding Judge Neil Gorsuch's swearing-in as the U.S. Supreme Court's ninth justice.

Asked by a Rotarian about working alongside fellow Iowa Republican and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, Ernst said: 'I value him a lot. The U.S. Senate values him a lot, and if you were able to watch any of the Judiciary hearings over the past number of weeks, as we were going through the Judge Neil Gorsuch confirmation process, Senator Grassley chairs the Judiciary Committee, and he ushered all of that through flawlessly.'

That process included the first-time use of the so-called 'nuclear option,' lowering the threshold to cut off debate on the U.S. Senate floor to 51 votes instead of 60, on Supreme Court nominees.

But Ernst said in a follow-up interview, she does not share the concerns of others about its deployment.

'It became very political, and we wanted to make sure that somebody who is so well-qualified and actually was granted the highest qualification rating from the (American Bar Association) was confirmed to the Supreme Court,' Ernst said.

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Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reporter Christinia Crippes contributed to this story.