Ernst brings awareness for bird flu in Washington

About 25 people attended a town hall meeting with U.S. Senator Joni Ernst Saturday evening in Creston.

The meeting — held at Southwestern Community College’s multi-purpose room — focused on budget balancing, avian influenza and an overview of her first six months in Washington, D.C.

Ernst said the biggest accomplishment in Washington, D.C., so far is Congress approving a budget that will balance in 10 years. It’s the first balanced budget approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate since 2011.

“It’s a major accomplishment,” Ernst said. “I don’t think 10 years is nearly fast enough, but this does move us in the right direction to balance our budget and begin to whittle down our debt.”

The current U.S. debt stands at more than $18 trillion.

Additionally, Ernst said she’s made it her mission in D.C. to make other legislators and the media there aware of the avian influenza and its affects on Iowans. The flu infected more than 30 million birds this spring. Ernst said northwest Iowa operations were hit the hardest.

“One in five eggs consumed comes from Iowa,” Ernst said. “And, we have poultry operations across Iowa that have been completely wiped out. We are ground zero for this flu, but many — even some in the Midwest states not affected — have no idea about the avian influenza. But, egg prices are already on the rise and people will soon ask why the prices are going up.”

A public hearing bringing more awareness about the bird flu is slated July 7 in Washington, D.C.

D.C. visits

Ernst did say the biggest surprise in her first six months is how many Iowans have visited Washington, D.C.

“We’ve received about 2,600 Iowans since December,” Ernst said.

Ernst is currently serving on four committees including agriculture forestry and nutrition, armed services, homeland security and small business and entrepreneurship.

Creston was Ernst’s fourth stop Saturday. She also visited Corning, Bedford and Mount Ayr.