Friday's vote to end the government shutdown likely won't pass, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats want to keep the government closed for political gain, Sen. Joni Ernst told Newsmax.
"Schumer is up to his shenanigans, and we're on day three of the Schumer shutdown," the Iowa Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" on Friday. "We have 750,000 federal government bureaucrats that are not at work, but will continue to get paid at a cost of about $400 million every single day."
She added that the shutdown has already cost taxpayers about $1 billion in lost work.
Ernst also pushed back on claims from Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that Medicaid funds cannot benefit illegal immigrants.
"That is outrageous because we know that there are many states and hospitals that will draw down extra dollars from the federal government to funnel it to healthcare for illegal immigrants," she said. "There are loopholes in the system. They need to be closed up."
Looking ahead, Ernst said she remains optimistic about ending the shutdown.
"I am very hopeful that we see it open back up again next week," she said. "But I'm an eternal optimist. I hope that we have some of our friends across the aisle that will join us in making sure that we're putting the American taxpayer first and not last."
Turning to agriculture, Ernst welcomed reports that President Donald Trump is considering $10 billion in aid to support farmers hurt by tariff disputes.
"Unfortunately, our farmers do need that assistance," she said. "They don't like it. They do consider it welfare. They want trade, not aid." She emphasized the need for new markets for soybeans and corn and said, "If there's anybody that can make a deal, it's President Trump."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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