Washington Examiner
On Sunday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York took the extraordinary step of endorsing my opponent for U.S. Senate in Iowa, liberal Democrat Theresa Greenfield. She did it because their radical positions are remarkably similar.
“If we work hard enough … to make sure that we unseat Republicans like Joni Ernst and we have the unique, frankly once in a generation opportunity to have the White House, the Senate and the House majorities Democratically controlled, then I believe we have an obligation to the American people to show what a Democratic administration can actually accomplish,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. She added that liberal control would be “… a memorable shift from just a flatline of this idea of bipartisanship …”
Ocasio-Cortez says she wants to defund the police, in line with Greenfield’s position that there is systemic racism throughout Iowa’s law enforcement. I can assure you both of them are wrong. We should be thankful to those in law enforcement who risk their lives to keep us safe.
Ocasio-Cortez and Greenfield are also on the same page when it comes to supporting extreme new environmental rules that would kill American jobs and hurt Iowa farmers, while letting the world’s biggest polluters, such as China, off the hook.
Additionally, Greenfield would support Senate liberals’ climate plan, which, according to reports, aligns broadly with Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal. Such a plan would wreak havoc on our farmers. In sharp contrast, I am proud to have the endorsement of the Iowa Farm Bureau, the Iowa Corn Growers, and the Iowa Cattlemen.
In the Senate, I work every day across the aisle to get results for Iowa. In fact, Georgetown University ranked me one of the most bipartisan senators, from any state, of the last 25 years. The results of that work are clear. As a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, I’m a tireless advocate for women and abuse survivors. I’m a champion for farmers, veterans, and working families and a fighter for Iowa jobs.
The idea that Ocasio-Cortez would criticize bipartisanship tells us everything we need to know about her and Greenfield’s policies. They both support radical policies that would destroy Iowa jobs and farms. And now, Greenfield has Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement. It is the latest reminder that Greenfield is perfect for New York or California, but wrong for Iowa.
With so much at stake this November, we cannot let Greenfield go to the Senate as a proxy vote for Ocasio-Cortez, or else the radical environmentalists who want to destroy our country will control how we live.
Joni Ernst is Iowa’s junior U.S. senator.
