Cut wasteful federal spending, including pork-barrel spending, in Washington.

I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm, so when I get to Washington I'll know how to cut pork. ... It’s time to force Washington to do the same—to cut wasteful spending

Ernst promises to cut pork and wasteful spending if elected to Washington.

Squeal - March 24, 2014 - Archives of Women's Political Communication
archival · campaign_ad · model gpt-5.5

Campaign ad transcript: "when I get to Washington I'll know how to cut pork" and "It’s time to force Washington to do the same—to cut wasteful spending... and balance the budget."

Establishes the campaign promise as a broad pledge to cut pork-barrel and wasteful federal spending.

unresolved unknown

Squeal - March 24, 2014 - Archives of Women's Political Communication
archival · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 94%

The enacted tax bill included "SEC. 13311. ELIMINATION OF DEDUCTION FOR LIVING EXPENSES INCURRED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS," amending section 162 by striking the $3,000 exception.

A narrow Ernst-backed anti-waste item, the SQUEAL Act concept eliminating a tax deduction for Members of Congress, was enacted in her first Senate term as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

partial same_term A for effort

Congressional Record: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Sec. 13311
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 90%

On H.R. 1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the motion was agreed to 51-48; the vote list records "Ernst (R-IA), Yea."

Shows Ernst voted for the final Senate action on the legislation that carried the congressional living-expense deduction repeal.

partial same_term A for effort

U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 115th Congress, Vote 323
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%

Congress.gov lists Sen. Joni Ernst as an original cosponsor of S.501, a bill "to prohibit earmarks," with latest action: "Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration."

Ernst supported concrete legislation to ban earmarks, but it did not advance beyond committee referral, so the pork-barrel portion was not delivered through this bill.

never later_term A for effort

S.501 - Earmark Elimination Act of 2021
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 92%

GAO reported that FY 2022 and 2023 appropriations included "$24.4 billion for 12,196 projects" in Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending.

Official GAO tracking shows earmark-style directed spending resumed and continued after Ernst’s election, undercutting full fulfillment of the promise to cut pork-barrel spending.

never later_term

Tracking the Funds: Agencies Continued Executing FY 2022 and 2023 Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Provisions
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 91%

CBO projected the federal deficit at $1.9 trillion in FY2026, growing to $3.1 trillion in 2036, and debt held by the public rising from 101 percent of GDP in 2026 to 120 percent in 2036.

Broad federal spending and debt were not durably cut by the as-of date; the fiscal trajectory remained high and rising despite Ernst’s waste-cutting efforts.

never later_term

The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 86%

After the Pentagon failed its most recent financial statement, Senator Joni Ernst said she is leading the charge to account for every cent spent by the department and is introducing the RECEIPTS Act, which would require a clean audit by 2028 and direct the Pentagon to use AI technology to audit the books.

Official Senate release showing Ernst continued to push concrete anti-waste oversight legislation in 2026, but it is an effort rather than a completed spending cut.

unresolved later_term A for effort

Ernst Wages War on Waste at the Pentagon
secondary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 91%

During Sunshine Week, Ernst introduced the COST Act to require a public price tag on all taxpayer-funded projects and said she was working to shine more light on wasteful Washington spending; she also said the Pentagon inspector general would investigate why some defense-funded projects were not disclosing costs to taxpayers.

Official Senate release documenting another concrete anti-waste transparency push, but not proof that the broader promise to cut pork-barrel spending was delivered.

unresolved later_term A for effort

Ernst Shines the Light on Government Spending
secondary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 90%