Senator Joni Ernst joined me this AM, and she is leading the charge to reject Biden nominee Colin Kahl:

Audio:

03-18hhs-ernst

Transcript:

JP: Well, the situation on the ground is certainly challenging in part because we inherited a dismantled system that wasn’t prepared for processing asylum requests that had left in place the remain in Mexico program where people were in a camp that was, did not have the conditions that we felt…

Reporter: But there are new camps popping up.

JP: Well, I think what I’m conveying to you is that we are less than 60 days, about 60 days in. We are working to repair what has been an unprepared and dismantled system. It’s going to take some time. Our policy is that we’re obviously going to continue to make sure we’re working through our laws, and the border is not open. But we also, as you know, have changed our policy to approach it in a more humane way and keep kids safe. And that requires putting in place more effective and efficient processing at the border. It’s going to take some time. We’re working through it. Every day, we have new steps and new improvements we’re taking to make the system more efficient and effective.

HH: Welcome back, America. I’m Hugh Hewitt. That’s Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary blaming Donald Trump and his administration for the crisis at the border. I’m joined now by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa who wrote about this for Fox News. Good morning, Senator. Welcome back.

JE: Oh, good morning, Hugh. Great to be with you.

HH: What do you make of Jen Psaki’s ‘it’s all Trump’s fault’ explanation?

JE: Well, I hear a lot of blah, blah, blah. This is Biden’s border crisis. It truly is. And whether President Biden is willing to say it or not, or Jen Psaki says it or not, it is a crisis. And with 23 years in the military, and of course, my service now on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee, I see this not only as a humanitarian crisis, but it’s also a growing threat to our national security. They have got to open their eyes. They’ve got to acknowledge this is not just a challenge. It is not just a big problem. It is a certified crisis.

HH: Now do you think they will do what is necessary? Or is open borders the de facto policy of Team Biden?

JE: I think it will end up being the de facto policy. And again, there’s a lot of blah, blah, blah right now. But the extreme push from the left is to simply open our borders. And I heard her, you know, in her clip saying oh, you know, we want these children to be safe. We want them treated humanely. The humanitarian thing to do is not to have their parents hand them over to drug cartels and human traffickers and parade them through very dangerous situations. It’s to protect them in their homes. So they continue pushing this agenda. Yes, we’re not opening the border right now, but you know, hang out, and we’ll let you in. That is enticing people to come to our border. And it’s not just the innocent people that are looking for a better life. It certainly is our adversaries. There were reportedly 54 countries that had illegal immigrants crossing into the United States, or attempting to. Some of those are coming from Yemen. They’re coming from Iran. These are very concerning issues for us, and we need to pay attention. Joe Biden’s not doing that right now.

HH: All right, now I want to turn to your service on Armed Services, Senator Ernst. Colin Kahl is nominated for the number three job there. Yesterday, a vote on his nomination in committee was postponed. Is that nomination dead, in your opinion, Senator Ernst?

JE: Well, I hope it is dead. But I don’t know where they will try and go with this. This is a very polarizing individual who has been brought forward. I have seen no Republican support so far. This is a gentleman who not just once or twice, but for years lashed out at Republicans, called us the party of ethnic cleansing, and yet this is someone who wants to direct policy for the Department of Defense. I don’t think it’s a wise move to put him in place. You know, I have a daughter right now at the United States Military Academy. She’ll be a second lieutenant here in another year serving in our great United States Army. And I do not want that man at the helm directing my daughter and her peers when it comes to policy. I think he’s a very dangerous individual. He’s a very caustic individual. We should not be confirming him.

HH: Now I supported Neera Tanden, because I believed OMB is basically an extension of the President and his domestic policy. I draw a line around the DOD and the kind of conduct that people ought to bring, and the temperament they ought to have if they’re in charge of the military, because it is, by tradition, a non-partisan military. And although there are partisan leaders, and we’ve had all sorts of leaders from General Mattis to Chuck Hagel. I mean, you could name all sorts of different people. I don’t know this fellow, but judging by his record, he has got the, he’s just a bad guy.

JE: Yes. What we have been able to see exhibited, again through his Tweets and the other types of social media articles and so forth is that he goes off the handle at any little thing. He is scathing in his comments, and it’s not directed at just one person or another, but groups of people at large. The example that I gave you, the Republican Party is the party of ethnic cleansing, he has also been extremely supportive of the Iranians and the Iranian nuclear deal, which I am opposed to. You know, we didn’t stop the Iranians from developing nuclear capabilities for weapons. We just slowed it down and encouraged them to do it in a safe manner. So there’s a lot of issues I see with this nomination. I’m very adamant that this is not the type of person we want to see serving in our Department of Defense.

HH: Do you have the ability, Senator, to put a hold on it, even if Democrats get a discharge petition to force it out of committee?

JE: Well, it is possible to put a hold, but there are maneuvers where if he is on the floor, then they could eventually bring the nominee forward. But we are going to do anything we can to slow down and stop this nomination. Again, there are many different maneuvers that could happen, but again, this is not the right choice for Department of Defense. Again, advising, serving as that policy director for Department of Defense, we certainly don’t need to see him serving. And you can’t tell me there’s not someone else out there that is greater qualified that will be willing to work with Democrats and Republicans for the safety and security of our nation.

HH: Well, I think of a couple of your colleagues who will be up in 2022, Senator Warnock from Georgia, the new senator from Arizona. They both have large military populations in their state. I’m not sure you want an ideologue in that job. It was, it’s never been a particularly ideological job, I mean, a partisan job. It’s been very, it’s important for policy to have an ideology, but it’s never been that kind of a partisan place.

JE: No, no. And this individual is extremely partisan, I would say, to the fringes of partisanship. And again, it wasn’t just a closely held personal belief that he had. It was one that he was exhibiting worldwide through his just ridiculous, ludicrous tweets. And so I just have a real issue with someone that will be advising our Secretary of Defense developing policy that affects the men and women serving in uniform almost to which you almost feel like he has a hatred for them. And that is not, not the type of person and temperament that we need in that position.

HH: Now Senator, if we can switch, you’re also on Environment and Public Works. The energy policy of the administration is of course going to be green. Secretary Kerry is, I’m told he has offices at the Pentagon, the Department of State, and the West Wing. He’s sort of the roving secretary without portfolio. Are they walking the walk of the talk that they talk?

JE: The roving secretary, I love that. Well, John Kerry is serving as the climate czar. And no, they’re not walking the walk. They are certainly putting up a good talk. They are throwing things at the American people like cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline, you know, destroying thousands of American jobs, preaching the evils of fossil fuel. And yet, the climate czar himself is flying on the taxpayer dime in these airplanes going overseas. And you know, of course, 2019, that famous statement he made to the effect of, oh, well, someone like me, I can’t be expected to fly with the greater masses, you know, and as a reason for him to, you know, use all of these fossil fuels. Well, we have a plan to push back against that. And certainly, I am introducing legislation that would track the carbon emissions of the President, Vice President, and any executive branch appointees so that they can report that to the American people and show that well, yes, we care about the climate, we’re going to walk the walk, because so far, Hugh, they’re not doing it.

HH: Yesterday, 27 attorneys general filed suit against the cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline saying Congress authorized that pipeline. The President doesn’t have the authority to cancel it. What do you think of that lawsuit and the argument underneath it?

JE: No, I think that’s absolutely correct. And the President can’t unilaterally cancel a project that was authorized by Congress. I do think that they have a very good argument behind this case. And I would say the same with the cancellation of our border wall project as well, again authorized by Congress but cancelled by the President. So I think there are a number of examples here where President Biden is going through his executive orders. Of course, he’s being pushed by the folks on the far left. But he is going against the will of Congress. So we’ll see how this develops, but I think this is just the first of many.

HH: Senator Ernst, always great talking to you. By the way, have you talked to Senator Manchin about the DOD call? Have you talked to him, yet?

JE: I have. And I know that Senator Tom Cotton has done the same. There are many of us that have discussed this with him. I think he’s trying to hunker down and figure this out right now.

HH: Senator Ernst, thank you. We’ll keep posted our audience on that. I appreciate you taking the time this morning.

JE: Of course. Thank you.

End of interview.