Who?
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)
LISTEN: Laslo & Ernst
Ask a Pol asks:
Are you worried about what Democrats are warning about, these huge health insurance premium hikes slated to hit folks back in Iowa in the new year?
Key Ernst:
“These were expanded premium subsidies for Covid,” Sen. Joni Ernst exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “And when people talk about subsidies going away — subsidies are not going away. The expanded subsidies are going away, but we still have subsidies.”
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Caught our ear:
Feels like there’s not dialogue happening about how to end the government shutdown?
“No, I think there is dialogue,” Ernst tells us. “It’s on a much smaller scale.”
Below find two rough transcripts of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interviews with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Joni Ernst (10-21-2025)
SCENE: Sen. Joni Ernst is making her way to the Senate floor to vote when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo snags this quick update on the government shutdown.
ICYMI — Laslo first used this interview in a Raw Story feature this week
Matt Laslo: “Are you feeling pressure now? Feels like there’s not dialogue happening?”
Joni Ernst: “No, I think there is dialogue. It’s on a much smaller scale.”
ML: “Yeah?”
JE: “[Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer just needs to open the government. No more Schumer shutdown. We need people working together, and it doesn’t seem that he’s really allowing his members to open the government.”
ML: “Are you worried about these premium hikes hitting folks back in Iowa?”
JE: “These were expanded premium subsidies for Covid.”
ML: “Yeah. So you’re ready for them to go away?”
JE: “And when people talk about subsidies going away — subsidies are not going away. The expanded subsidies are going away, but we still have subsidies.”
ML: “Yeah?”
JE: “So we want to make sure we’re taking care of people.”
ML: “Yeah?”
JE: “Okay.”
ML: “Thank you, ma’am.”
