Fox News | Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) Ernst is demanding a cap on what she sees as excessive perks and benefits received by former U.S. presidents.
“What we see now is a situation where our former presidents have book deals, they have speaking engagements, and they are paid quite liberally in those areas,” Ernst told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday.
“The American taxpayer shouldn’t be subsidizing for these personal office spaces,” she stated. “It’s time we do something about that.”
Ernst and Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) reintroduced the bill this year and are “very hopeful to get it over the finish line,” Ernst said.
Ernst also said she is not worried about how President Trump’s budget deal with Democrats might affect the tax reform debate.
“I don’t have anxiety over that,” Ernst said.
“As long as we are steering that conversation,” having Democrats at the table is not a problem, she added.
President Trump last week endorsed a plan written by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) that included hurricane relief funding. Some congressional Republicans have expressed concern that the deal might be a precursor to the president scrambling the tax reform debate and leaving them behind.
However, Ernst said the deal could be good news for tax reform.
“I don’t want to see another situation where we fail to get our policies across the finish line, so if it takes a couple more moderate members of the Democrat Party joining us in this effort, I’m happy to have them along,” the senator said.