BETTENDORF, Iowa — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R) said she was disturbed by parts of President Joe Biden's gun control proposals while speaking to media in Bettendorf. The senator was in town for her annual 99-county tour of Iowa.
"We'll go through what the president has proposed, but making sure that we're not violating our rights. I was a little disturbed when he said any amendments to the constitution are not absolute. That sends a warning flag up," said Ernst.
She said while she hasn't seen text on the proposal yet, since it's only been an announcement, she is already concerned with making sure law-abiding citizens' second amendment rights are upheld.
"We'll go back, we'll take a look at what he's proposed as far as gun legislation, what he would like to see happen in the future, but we would rather not see these things come down by executive order," said Ernst. "It really should come down through congress."
President Biden has proposed half a dozen executive orders to combat gun violence, which he called an embarrassment and an epidemic. Of those, he wants to crack down on the sale of "ghost guns," which are homemade weapons that don't have serial numbers and are typically purchased without a background check. He's also called for "red flag" moves, that would help law enforcement or family members petition for someone to be temporarily blocked from purchasing a weapon if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
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"I think what we need to do is actually sit down and be willing to work together," said Ernst. "Whenever we do try and come together and find a solution, leadership needs to get out of the way. We need to find what is reasonable and what is right in moving forward. But again, I want to make sure that we are protecting law abiding citizens' rights and find a way forward. We're willing to take a look, but we have a lot of folks that are very concerned about this issue and that democrats will go too far in trying to strip away rights and we can't allow that."
When it comes to Iowa's recent gun law, which makes it easier to purchase guns without background checks, Ernst says she's not sure how the executive order will clash with it.
"That's a state issue and while I haven't read the law as it was signed in - again, if you are a law abiding citizen I think your second amendment rights should be upheld. This would be an Iowa law and that would be an executive order. It'll stay in place as long as President Biden keeps it in place, but I'm almost certain that you will see lawsuits coming out on these executive orders because it could potentially infringe upon law abiding citizens' rights," said Ernst.