Sen. Joni Ernst: "Status quo is not OK" on school shootings, but stands by Second Amendment
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, says, in light of the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., where hundreds of thousands rallied for gun reform, lawmakers and activists need to find common ground while still protecting Second Amendment rights.
"I appreciate the fact that they have the right to peacefully protest and inform the government of what they believe is the right path forward. I think every citizen has the right to do that. But every citizen, as long as they are law abiding, also has the right to exercise their Second Amendment rights," said Ernst of student activists calling for gun reform at the rally in Washington on Saturday.
She added, "What we don't want to do as a nation is start stripping rights away from law-abiding citizens. So I think that the status quo is not OK, and that's what these young demonstrators are speaking out against. And so we do have to find a way forward, but simply stating, 'We need to get rid of other people's rights,' is not the right way forward."
Ernst, who is one of the top 10 beneficiaries of spending by the National Rifle Association in the Senate, pushed back on her ties to the gun lobby.
"I myself don't receive funding from outside organizations, other than what those smaller donations that might come from PACs. Many outside organizations will run advertisements without the consent of candidates. They'll run advertisements for candidates against candidates. I have no control over that. My campaign has no control over that," explained Ernst.
She added, "I will say that I am a supporter of the Constitution, I'm a supporter of our Bill of Rights. We have many rights that need to be upheld in the United States. And I would say that I have been a Second Amendment supporter my lifetime. I was a member of the NRA long before the NRA knew of Joni Ernst, private citizen in Iowa."
