Opinion: "The Candidate Who Wants More Pollution in Iowa"

"Iowa voted for Barack Obama in the last two presidential elections, but now it is seriously considering electing a United States Senate candidate with a hard-right proposal that is truly radical: abolishing the Environmental Protection Agency. That candidate, Joni Ernst, now a Republican state senator, is ahead in the polls by a few points, despite taking a position that would severely degrade the quality of life in Iowa and every other agribusiness state.

At a debate in Davenport on Saturday, Ms. Ernst came under fire from her Democratic opponent, Representative Bruce Braley, for her plan to eliminate the nation’s environmental guardian. 'You’re saying you don’t want anyone making sure the air we breathe is clean and the water we drink is pure,' he said.

Ms. Ernst first made this proposal during the state’s Republican primary, when she pandered for Tea Party support by also promising to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Education. But now she is stuck with it, and made a feeble attempt to justify the plan at the debate by saying the E.P.A. has overreached."

David Firestone reports for the New York Times' Taking Note blog October 13, 2014.