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While acknowledging there have been "hiccups," Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst defended federal funding cuts and workforce layoffs as part of a broad government restructuring aimed at saving taxpayer dollars, saying a "hard reset" is needed of the federal government.
"I'm not going to say that there's not a little pain involved with that because we know there is," Ernst said during a telephone town hall Monday evening hosted by Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, who, like Ernst, faces re-election in 2026. "But, we are trying to do it in a meaningful manner here in Congress and take into consideration what our Iowans are thinking."
Ernst has embraced and defended President Donald Trump and Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's efforts to expose and eliminate "waste, fraud and abuse" in the federal government. Ernst leads the Senate's caucus that collaborates with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to identify ways to cut government spending.
Hinson, who represents Northeast Iowa, is a member of the House DOGE Caucus.
Musk's DOGE says it has saved $170 billion through its push to root out wasteful or fraudulent government spending. However, a nonpartisan group estimates DOGE's efforts will cost taxpayers $135 billion this fiscal year.
The nonprofit Partnership for Public Service says DOGE's firings, rehirings and putting employees on paid leave -- as well as losses in productivity as a result of the personnel changes --- has cost the government about half its $270 billion in annual payroll, CBS News and other media outlets reported. The estimated $135 billion does not include legal expenses from lawsuits against DOGE or lost tax revenue due to IRS staff cuts.
Many workers, including 24,000 who were fired, have been rehired following a court decision. Other agencies also rehired employees mistakenly dismissed -- including bird flu experts who were dismissed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Ernst said while "there have been a few hiccups" during DOGE's rollout, she's heard positive feedback from Iowans about DOGE's work so far.
"Even Elon Musk will say you can't bat, you know, a perfect score every time, but if we identify things that maybe haven't gone as smoothly as possible, we go back and we make sure that those errors are corrected," Ernst said. "But so far, what Iowans are telling me is they are really grateful that we are taking the time to audit all of these agencies, to ferret out the waste, fraud and abuse."
Hinson noted the Government Accountability Office estimates the federal government loses between $233 and $521 billion annually to fraud due to inadequate data and outdated systems. The GAO's report highlights the pervasive nature of fraud and the need for improved fraud risk management practices.
Hinson said she's committed to supporting Trump's and Musk's efforts "cutting waste, fraud and abuse so we can sustain the key programs and investments that you all and Americans care about" and redirect the dollars to "priorities that matter to Iowans."
"We owe it to our kids and our grandkids to lift our country out of this spiral of debt," she said " ... Together we're cracking down on things like unused office space, outdated tech and programs that fail to deliver results for you. This is about ensuring every taxpayer dollar counts."
In social media post after the tele-town hall, Hinson said that more than 5,600 callers tuned into the hourlong call.
A man introduced as Don from Marion asked Hinson and Ernst how Congress plans to lower taxes for working-class Iowans. He referenced an analysis from the Center on Budget Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute in Washington, which said the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed during Trump's first term lowered taxes across income brackets but disproportionately benefited the wealthiest.
House Republicans have proposed to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent in their massive tax and spending bill that makes cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and green energy programs, and increases spending on border security, deportation and defense.
Several conservative lawmakers have insisted on quicker, steeper cuts to federal programs to offset the costs of trillions of dollars in lost tax revenue, worried about piling onto the nation's $36 trillion debt. The proposal would add roughly $3.2 trillion to the debt over the next decade, the nonpartisan Penn Wharton Budget Model projects.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the House is aiming to have a vote on the package before Memorial Day.
Hinson argued that failing to pass an extension of the expiring tax cuts would cost an average family in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District about seven weeks worth of groceries in increased taxes.
"My No. 1 goal is to make sure that everyone gets to keep more of their own money across the board," Hinson said. "It is your money, it is not the government's money. That continues to be my philosophy here in Congress. At the end of the day, the No. 1 thing I'm looking at is making sure that you all don't face a tax increase."
Democrats contend Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would hit the poorest Americans the hardest. A study done by Penn Wharton found that people earning between $17,000 and $51,000 would see on average a $700 reduction in their income after taxes if the current bill goes through. People reporting less than $17,000 in income would see a reduction closer to $1,000 on average. People earning more, however, would see gains.
The predicted losses are primarily due to the cuts being made across federal agencies, and the benefits many lower-income Americans will see disappear because of them. Penn Wharton's analysis found increased cost of medical bills and food by losing access to programs like health care through Medicaid, or nutrition assistance through SNAP, will be far higher than the amount of money they'll receive through tax cuts.
"These tax cuts are proof, plain and simple, that the Republican Party does not prioritize the average Iowan," Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement.
A caller identified as Bonnie from Cedar Rapids asked Hinson about the impact of Trump's tariffs policies on boosting and reshoring manufacturing in the United States.
Hinson said the Trump administration is using tariffs to "level the playing field" for Iowa farmers and companies, protecting the U.S. economy from unfair trade practices.
"Many of these countries have been taking advantage of the United States for a very, very long time, so I am very excited about the potential trade deals that are ahead to be announced," Hinson said. "Obviously we had a big one with the U.K., kind of unleashing what I think will be a waterfall of trade deals."
Trump has implemented a 90-day pause since announcing widespread tariffs on other countries in early April, after markets fluctuated. The Trump administration has struck a separate temporary agreement with China to lower reciprocal tariffs.
Hinson applauded a trade deal with the United Kingdom announced earlier this month. The White House says the agreement will open up the British market to American beef, ethanol and other agricultural products, creating a $5 billion opportunity for new exports for U.S. farmers, ranchers and producers.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins' outlined plans last month while in Iowa to promote U.S. agricultural exports to other countries, including trips to India, Japan, Peru and Brazil. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the launch of trade promotion programs for 2025 that open up additional funding to help U.S. agricultural producers promote and sell their goods internationally.
Ernst said Trump is the "only one with the guts" to bring tariffs against countries like China, which she said has taken advantage of Iowa farmers.
"As they work through those proposals, we will start to see better deals, and those tariffs will go by the wayside," she said. "So we're going to keep encouraging trade deals, trade deals, trade deals, because that is going to be so much better for the United States."