Month: March 2023

Authored by John Haughey via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),Any federal department head with a $60.4 billion annual spending request is going to see fiscal hawks on Congressional panels flash their budget-cutting knives in appropriations hearings.Cars head to Mexico at the border crossing at San Luis, Ariz. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)But when it comes to embattled United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas—literally, the face of President Joe Biden’s much-maligned border and immigration policies—House Republicans don’t want to trim his budget, they want his head on a platter.According to DHS, there have been 4.7 million “encounters” with illegal immigrants reported at the nation’s southern border since the Biden administration assumed office in January 2021.Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington on March 28, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)An estimated 1.3 million “got-aways” have eluded border agents and escaped into the country—a figure many say is underestimated by up to 20 percent.As a result critics, which include the entire Republican Congressional contingent as well as some Democrats, say there were more than 1,100 attacks on U.S. Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents while the flow of fentanyl remains unabated across the southern border, contributing to more than 75,000 poisoning deaths attributed to the drug in 2022.“Mr. Secretary, you are failing at doing your job. These numbers speak for themselves,” Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) said.“The policies of this administration have directly contributed to this failure. In my mind, it is very clear this has been a complete failure in you doing your job and we need new leadership.“What will it take for you to resign and step down from this … because I see this as a complete failure. What will it take?” Hinson asked.Mayorkas didn’t directly respond to Hinson’s query during his two-and-a-half-hour March 29 hearing before the House Appropriation Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee.Nor did the DHS chief answer pointed questions about allegedly shifting funding away from already allocated money for border wall construction, or respond to queries about whether Mexican cartels should be declared foreign terrorist organizations or his claim in April 2022 that DHS had “operational control” of the border. That statement was later refuted by U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.It was Mayorkas’s second Congressional hearing of the week and the first of two set for March 29.The day before, he was ripped by Senate Appropriations Committee Republicans with Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz calling for him to “be fired” or, as a bill now circulating about Capitol Hill demands, be impeached.“For over two years, we’ve seen skyrocketing illegal migration at the border. This policy-driven crisis continues for one reason, and one reason only, this administration is unwilling to publicly dissuade migrants from coming to the border and unwilling to take action on the authority it already has on the books,” Subcommittee Chair Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) said.“The Biden administration’s policies are undoubtedly driving our border security crisis,” he continued and referring to the DHS’s $60.4 billion Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget request added, “It is our job as appropriators to be good stewards of taxpayers’ money and to ensure we are not wasting money by supporting bad policies that don’t result in deserted outcomes.”Budget of Wasteful ‘Gimmicks’DHS’s FY24 budget request actually tops $103 billion with $60.4 billion defined as “discretionary.”The department’s 260,000 employees deal with a wide range of domestic security concerns addressed by the Transportation Security Agency, the Coast Guard, FEMA, and the Secret Service.“This proposal is, unfortunately, more disappointing than it is promising,” Joyce said. “The budget is full of gimmicks that mask the true cost of protecting the homeland and makes our job as appropriators that much more difficult.”The department’s total $60.4 billion budget request is “nearly equal to the current fiscal year,” he said but cited the $4.7 billion for the proposed Southwest Border Contingency Fund and another $1.6 billion in “illegal TSA fees” as wasteful allocations that will cost taxpayers more than $6 billion without addressing border security.“Now is not the time for budget gimmicks,” Joyce said.Demurrals On The WallRepublicans called the Southwest Border Contingency Fund a “slush fund” with Joyce claiming it “will spend more hard-earned tax dollars to achieve the same results with less oversight … that incentivizes this administration to not solve problems and do their job in the first place.”The Biden administration is more dedicated to building more infrastructure for processing illegal immigrants “and then releasing them into the interior, [which] hasn’t worked,” Joyce said.“Decreasing detention capacity hasn’t worked. Border security operators have been clear—without [increasing detention capacities] illegal immigration will continue unabated.”Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) said the $4.7 billion fund is “disturbing” because it essentially concedes the border cannot be safeguarded.“What has happened under this administration is instead of trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants across the border, we’ve just gotten better at processing those immigrants,” he said.Cloud, House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), and Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) accused Mayorkas of funneling money from revenue streams dedicated to building the border wall established under the Trump administration to other programs and projects.Granger said there is $2.8 billion set aside to “complete the wall” with $200 million of that set to “go away” unless it is spent “in the next few months.”“We just going to let that happen?” she asked.Mayorkas would not answer the question but said he has approved 129 “gates and gaps” projects along stretches of the wall that already exist.Illegal immigrants, mostly of Venezuelan origin, attempt to forcibly cross into the United States at the Paso del Norte International Bridge in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on March 12, 2023. (Herika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images)The Biden administration is not going to approve any more wall construction, he said, and is espousing technologies, such as drones, and “investing in personnel.”“I have approved a number of projects and we will comply with our legal obligations with respect to the funds provided for the wall,” Mayorkas said.Cloud said DHS prevented Texas from funding portions of the wall on its own. “Right now,” he asked, “we’re paying for [the] border wall to be stored and not built. Is that correct?“We are indeed,” Mayorkas said.Cloud said Border Patrol and CPB officials themselves say, “the border wall is the most effective force-multiplier” claiming the budget request “takes money we’ve already allocated and moves it in different directions, is that correct?”“We will comply with our legal obligations,” Mayorkas said.“It’s not people or infrastructure. It’s both,” Cloud said. “You are taking what we already appropriated for border wall construction and rescinded that and want to use that for other purposes. Is that correct?”“Congressman,” Mayorkas replied, “we will comply with our legal obligations.”“That’s a well-worded way to get around” answering the question, Cloud said. “You’re missing the overall objective of securing the border by funding these little legal loopholes to get out of things.”“I understand we are not going to build a wall from sea to shiny sea,” Guest said, but a wall is effective in certain places in certain sectors.“It seems to me this administration is saying we are not going to build any walls. Walls are bad. I disagree with that, walls are beneficial. I think that they do a great job.”Fire ‘Border Czar’ TooHinson said the Border Patrol is budgeted for 19,800 agents but now has only about 19,000. She said Ortiz maintains it needs at least 22,000 agents to effectively patrol the border.She said DHS should be asking for many more agents, which is an initiative his GOP critics would support.Mayorkas said the Border Patrol added 300 agents last year and will continue to build its ranks every year. “There is a limit to how many we can functionally hire in a particular year.”He said, “We need more.”Good luck, Hinson said. “The policies of this administration have truly affected retention” and said the budget reflects “a lack of meaningful work to address retention challenges. Throwing out increased numbers looks nice, but it doesn’t actually address the reality of the situation at the southern border.”Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) suggested if the administration needs more money to hire Border Patrol agents, he has some ideas.“It’s strange that this department wants to add 350 Border Patrol agents and 87,000 armed IRS agents,” he said, suggesting Mayorkas contact the IRS “and see if it wants to share some of that wealth with you and perhaps share some of the funding with you.”Harris said Mayorkas should not be the only administration official to resign over the border situation. Vice President Kamala Harris, as the designated “border czar,” should also step down, he said.“The last time she was [at the border] was June 2021, that’s more than 2 million crossings ago,” he said. “Our border czar should also resign because she isn’t doing her job.”Loading… […]

Photo Of The Day – have you ever tried shooting like this? If you’re one of TFB’s readers, you probably own at least 20 firearms, but no skis? We’re in Finland (where else?) where a soldier from Charlie Troop, 3-71 Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, practices the kneeling firing position holding a 7.62mm RK62 assault rifle while kneeling on skis.
I can tell you this is NOT as easy as it looks. The rifle will jump, even with a 5,56 mm and even if you’re on completely horizontal ground the recoil will move you back, due to the lack of friction in the skis.
This is from the weapons familiarization training course during Exercise Arctic Forge in Sodankyla Garrison, Finland on Feb. 22, 2023. Exercise Arctic Forge 23 is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led umbrella exercise that leverages the host-nation exercises Defense Exercise North in Finland, and exercise Joint Viking in Norway, taking place Feb. 16 through March 17, 2023, focused on building capabilities and cooperation in support of the U.S. Army’s Arctic Strategy.

These guys didn’t ski well enough, so they got the Valmet without the Aimpoint red dot?

Source: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Keeler, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. […]

The US is grappling with an obesity crisis, as approximately 4 out of 10 Americans currently meet the medical criteria for being overweight. This makes them susceptible to severe health complications like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The question is, what’s the source of the obesity crisis?.. Well, it’s likely the eating habits of Americans. According to a 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey, as many as 1 out of every 3 Americans eat fast food daily.  Fast food is associated with causing obesity because its high in calories and fat. It’s processed food packed with additives and often fried. Fast food costs less, and it’s quick, and tens of thousands of fast food restaurants with convenient drive-thrus are situated across America.Before examining the regions in the US with the highest concentration of fast-food restaurants, it’s important to note that 2021 CDC data showed the highest amount of obesity among Americans was spread across the Midwest, Deep South, and Rust Belt states.It’s crucial to remember the regions mentioned in the above data. When analyzing the locations of the ten largest fast-food chains in the US, it becomes apparent that many of these stores are indeed situated in the areas with the highest rates of obesity among Americans.SubwayStarbucksMcDonald’s DunkinTaco BellBurger KingPizza HutDomino’sWendy’sDairy QueenThere might be a connection between the presence of fast-food outlets in particular regions throughout the nation and the increasing obesity rates in those areas. Loading… […]

New York Congressman Dan Goldman
Washington Democrats have been colluding with Bragg on his persecution of President Donald Trump as we have all suspected.
The Gateway Pundit reported a Manhattan Grand Jury voted to indict President Donald Trump yesterday on bogus charges.
Trump was hit with 34 counts related to business fraud according to a leak to CNN. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon a 2:15 PM.
Paul Sperry dropped a bombshell report early this morning revealing that Rep. Dan Goldman, who prosecuted the first Trump impeachment, privately consulted with DA Alvin Bragg about indicting Trump.

BREAKING: House sources say Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman of Manhattan — who prosecuted the first Trump impeachment & has been bragging to reporters about sabotaging GOP investigations of the Bidens — has privately consulted with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg about indicting Trump
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) March 31, 2023

House sources say Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman of Manhattan — who prosecuted the first Trump impeachment & has been bragging to reporters about sabotaging GOP investigations of the Bidens — has privately consulted with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg about indicting Trump
But there’s more. Bragg’s wife boasted that the corrupt DA had “Trump nailed on felonies.” The evidence was already predetermined and Bragg knew had the Manhattan jury in his pocket.

BREAKING: In March 2022 — BEFORE a Manhattan grand jury began hearing evidence — DA Alvin Bragg’s wife Jamila retweeted a report that claimed that her husband “has Trump nailed on felonies.” Jamila Bragg has since locked her Twitter account
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) March 31, 2023

In March 2022 — BEFORE a Manhattan grand jury began hearing evidence — DA Alvin Bragg’s wife Jamila retweeted a report that claimed that her husband “has Trump nailed on felonies.” Jamila Bragg has since locked her Twitter account
Not surprisingly, this caught the former President’s attention. He retruthed the bombshell report a short time ago.

As previously reported, Trump is accused of providing $130,000 in 2016 to his disgraced former lawyer Michael Cohen, who then allegedly passed the money on as hush money to Daniels.
Cohen was convicted of several crimes and sentenced to three years in prison in 2018. These charges include lying to Congress, as well as campaign-finance violations and tax evasion.
Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York decided against charging Trump related to the Stormy Daniels payment back in 2019, despite Cohen’s testimony. The Federal Election Commission also closed the investigation into the case in 2021.
However, Bragg, whose campaign was funded by billionaire far-left extremist donor George Soros, has opted to revive the case to bring charges against the former president. […]

Sometimes, you just want to go ride your bike in the great outdoors, but you can’t be bothered throwing it in the back of the car. That wouldn’t be a problem if you rode this latest build from [The Q]: a bike small enough to fit in a handbag.
The build starts by customizing a rollerblade wheel to act as the driven rear wheel of the bike. It’s fitted with a tiny sprocket allowing it to be chain driven. Welding some steel tubes then nets a small diamond-layout bike frame. It’s fitted with a chain ring, pedals, and steering assembly just like a full-sized bike, just in absolute miniature.
Riding the bike is “uncomfortable,” in [The Q]’s own terms, but entirely possible. It basically requires the same level of contortion and technique as displayed by the clowns of your local circus. Don’t expect to use it as viable transportation, though. Walking would be much faster.
We’ve seen [The Q] build some wild bikes before, too, like this great hubless design. Video after the break.

[embedded content] […]

Authored by Jason Blair via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),A man in Fresno County, California was arrested 10 times within a span of 31 days, according to the Clovis Police Department.Keith Chastain. (Courtesy of Clovis Police Department)Keith Chastain’s first arrest was on Feb. 19, and his tenth was on March 21. He was booked by Clovis police six times and other agencies four times.Chastain, 38, faces 18 felonies and 15 misdemeanors. Charges include six stolen vehicles, vandalism, DUI, possession of a controlled substance, fraud, and more, according to authorities.“I don’t know what is happening in his life to cause him to steal so many people’s vehicles and property. It’s sad; I hope he gets some help,” Clovis Police Corporal Meredith Alexander told KMPH Fox 26.On his tenth arrest, police received a tip over the phone and caught Chastain driving a stolen truck in Old Town Clovis. Police said he was on his way to the police station in the stolen vehicle to pick up his personal property.Loading… […]

In October of 2016, the Obama White House co-hosted a roundtable with Soros-funded John Jay’s College Institute for Innovation in Prosecution.
The round table was made up of liberal-leaning prosecutors’ around the United States and the topic on hand was the role of a prosecutor in the 21st century.
One of the roundtable discussion participants was current Manhattan District Attorney Chief Assistant Meg Reiss.
Per John Jay’s College site, Reiss served as the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution Executive Director at the time she was a participant of the event:

Two months after the roundtable concluded, Reiss was tasked to write a summary of the event which was then published on the official Obama White House Blog which is now archived.
LOOK:

Here’s a summary of the blog:
In October, the White House worked with the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution (IIP) to take steps toward achieving those goals. On October 24, the White House hosted a prosecutors’ roundtable on criminal justice reform. This roundtable served as a launching point for the important work ahead. With input from elected prosecutors and criminal justice experts from around the country, we started a conversation about the role of the prosecutor in the 21st century.
Reiss even posted about the visit on her now deleted Twitter account.

As the Gateway Pundit previously reported, Reiss’s Twitter account was filled with anti-Trump bias.
It was reported Reiss liked several anti-Trump tweets that called for Americans to “Dump Trump”, “drive out everything he (Trump) represents” and more.
After The Gateway Pundit exposed her Twitter account Reiss deleted her  account hours later.
Read more about it here:
EXCLUSIVE: Meg Reiss’s Twitter Account Exposed – Alvin Bragg’s Chief Assistant District Attorney Who Is Allegedly Running the Office – Is a Raging Trump-Hater and Not Shy About It […]

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has finally figured out the hive mind of a rash of car thefts in New York City: Tik Tok.The mayor has taken to blaming the social media platform this week for a growing number of grand theft autos that are taking place under his watch in New York City. He says he wants to “hold the platform accountable”, according to a new Bloomberg report. Joined by New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, Adams has said the “Kia Challenge”, a Tik Tok-based viral video showing how to steal Kia and Hyundai cars, is to blame for about 109 arrests made this year related to theft of Kia and Hyundai sedans. 🚨Attention owners of Kia & Hyundai vehicles🚨 Criminals are using a vulnerability to bypass some car ignitions using a USB cable. While both manufacturers have said they are looking into fixing the issue, utilizing a steering wheel locking device is highly recommended. pic.twitter.com/DBziQQXN2C
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 30, 2022At a press conference Thursday, Adams said: “This really emphasizes my continuous call for the responsible behavior of social media. This challenge in particular with Kia and Hyundai, we see it as not only stealing a vehicle, but it’s stealing the future of our young people.”Car theft spiked during the pandemic and hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, the report says. Grand larceny of vehicles in New York was up a stunning 32% last year, more than any other felony. According to Sewell, most thefts are taking place in the Bronx and northern Manhattan. The videos that Adams references targets Hyundais and Kias that lack an engine immobilizer, Bloomberg reports. They have made their way around social media since last September, targeting vehicles made in the 2015-2019 year range. When asked about his opinion about a ban on Tik Tok due to national security concerns, however, Adams responded: “I think that it’s imperative for Congress and the federal lawmakers to do a deep dive and come up with the right way to monitor social media.”He concluded: “As we continue to decrease crime and move crime in the right direction, we don’t need aggravating factors such as what we’re seeing in a social media challenge of this magnitude. We don’t need social media to contribute to social disorder.”Every day, the NYPD works to make our city safer and keep driving major crimes down in New York City. But we’re continuing to see problems with grand theft auto. Join us now at 1 Police Plaza.https://t.co/4zyhYIcIf7
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) March 30, 2023Loading… […]

A “catastrophic” tornado ripped through Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday.
More than 600 people are injured due to the tornado.
“Little Rock police are transporting people to hospitals as there aren’t enough ambulances to respond.” – according to the chief meteorologist for WOTV4.

From THV11 News in LIT: “UAMS officially declared a level 3 mass casualty event following the tornado. MEMS is estimating at least 600 injuries so far. Little Rock police are transporting people to hospitals as there aren’t enough ambulances to respond.
— bill steffen (@bsteffen) March 31, 2023

A woman on the 7th floor of Medical Towers 1 in Little Rock captured the giant twister on video.
VIDEO:

View from Little Rock Baptist moments ago! *video shot by Kristal Benton from the 7th Floor of Medical Towers 1. #arwx @NWSLittleRock @KATVToddYak @KATVJames pic.twitter.com/zX2xHoSMvz
— Sean (@_spcanady) March 31, 2023

“Nearly 70,000 customers in Arkansas were out of power on Friday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages; about 37,000 were without power in neighboring Oklahoma.” CBS News reported.

BREAKING: A Little Rock, Arkansas medical center said it was operating at a mass casualty level after a tornado struck — reducing rooftops to splinters, toppling vehicles and tossing debris on roadways. https://t.co/lo7xGQkdXz pic.twitter.com/B4BnMkmkpa
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 31, 2023

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) declared a state of emergency.

Here at the Capitol I just signed an executive order declaring that a State of Emergency exists in the State of Arkansas due to today’s severe weather. We will spare no resource to assist with response and recovery efforts for Arkansans impacted. pic.twitter.com/FsY47vOusn
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 31, 2023

Significant damage has occurred in Central Arkansas. I’m in constant communication with AR State Police and @AR_Emergencies who are working with local law enforcement to assist anyone injured. Praying for all those who were and remain in the path of this storm.
Arkansans must…
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 31, 2023

A massive tornado was also spotted in Hedrick, Iowa on Friday.

🚨#BREAKING: A Confirmed large and extremely violent tornado is on the ground⁰⁰📌#Sigourney | #Iowa⁰⁰The National weather service has issues a PDS tornado warning meaning particular Dangerous situation as a confirmed large and extremely violent tornado is on the ground… pic.twitter.com/QWQEUZrz7x
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) March 31, 2023

A storm chaser in Iowa captured the giant tornado on video:

MASSIVE TORNADO. #IAWXA #wxtwitter @NWSDesMoines @NWSQuadCities pic.twitter.com/oVMGrx2sZl
— Hunter (@hunter_wx) March 31, 2023

DEVELOPING… […]

Authored by Joni Ernst and Adam Andrzejewski, op-ed via NewsWeek.com,Government bureaucrats are slowly returning to the office after three years of working remotely. Washington, D.C. has the highest work-from-home rate in the country, and the mayor is angry because the city is a ghost town.Despite empty government cubicles, President Joe Biden tucked a 5.2% pay raise for the 1.4 million employees of executive agencies into his proposed budget. That would be the single largest pay hike for the Swamp since 1980.They don’t call it Club Fed for nothing.According to newly released data obtained from the Biden administration via the Freedom of Information Act, these same bureaucrats are already collectively making $1.2 million a minute, $72 million an hour, and over $576 million a day. And that’s just the cash compensation cost to taxpayers!Last year, the average salaries for employees at 109 of Washington’s 125 agencies were over $100,000 per year. And the lucrative perks included 44 days of paid time off “earned” after just three years on the job—nearly nine full weeks paid to sip margaritas on the beach.It’s long past time to review the “cost effectiveness gap” at the Swamp’s manifold agencies and ask why federal employees are paid so much to deliver so little in the way of results.For example, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is supposed to ensure the safety and soundness of our banking system. 5,800 employees and auditors at the FDIC make an average annual salary of nearly $160,000. With the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and headlines pointing to a fragile and distressed banking system, are taxpayers really getting what they’re paying for?Then, there are the little-known agencies, such as the Appalachian Regional Commission, where the top-paid executives make close to $176,300. The commission is charged with helping pull residents out of poverty in 423 counties across 13 states. However, since the agency was created in 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson, only four counties have attained that goal.Besides high salaries, there were the 1 million bureaucrats who received $1.5 billion in bonuses, after a whopping 99% of federal employees were rated “fully successful.” That’s not even plausible.Cherry trees near their peak bloom on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on March 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C.CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGESAs the COVID-19 pandemic waned in 2021, Congress established a $570 million federal worker relief fund. The half-billion-dollar program provided paid leave for federal workers who had children not yet back for in-person schooling. Eligible bureaucrats could earn up to $21,000 over 15 weeks.One of our Senate offices, alongside the other’s private organizational auditors, are now demanding answers to three existential questions posed by the reality of the modern federal workforce. Who is working? Where are they? And, most importantly, what are they doing?Taking stock of the administrative state is difficult: The Biden administration just redacted the names of a whopping 350,861 rank-and-file federal workers from the Fiscal Year 2022 payroll disclosure. And it isn’t that these are all intelligence officers or spies; by comparison, in the final fiscal year of the Obama administration (FY 2016), only 2,300 names were redacted.The administration also redacted 281,656 employee work locations.So, we can’t accurately map the Swamp because it’s a literal game of “Where’s Waldo?” when it comes to the modern administrative state.Again, we aren’t complaining about names or locations redacted from the National Security Administration, the Pentagon, or the Central Intelligence Agency, where there is a legitimate secrecy shield for national security.The Biden administration is deliberately hiding key information on hundreds of thousands of regular employees within the alphabet-soup of agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Education, and so on.We estimate that roughly $36 billion in salary and bonus compensation is hidden from oversight. We don’t yet know who, what, where, or how much. But we plan to find out.All of which raises the question: Are these federal workers actually working, and what is their real value for the American taxpayer?*  *  *Joni Ernst, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Iowa. Adam Andrzejewski is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit OpenTheBooks.com.Loading… […]