The first female to serve in Iowa’s congressional delegation is taking the oath of office today. Republican Joni Ernst is using her Grandmother Culver’s family Bible for the ceremony.
“She’s no longer with us, so it’s a personal memento,” Ernst said. “It means a lot to me.”
Ernst placed her hand on the same Bible when she was sworn in as a state senator in Des Moines. Ernst told Radio Iowa during a recent interview that she is ready to get to work in the United States Senate.
“I’m anxious to actually get to a point where I can spend time with my colleagues, sit down in these face-to-face discussions and talk about where we’re going with homeland security, with immigration and the budget as a whole,” Ernst said. “I think we need to be aggressive.”
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s term began in 2011, so he does not take the oath of office again today. In the U.S. House, Iowa’s four congressmen are being sworn in for their two-year terms today. Freshman Republican Rod Blum (rhymes with gum) has three mementos with him today for the occasion. Blum is carrying a pocket constitution, a star from an American flag that a veterans group in Anamosa gave him and the campaign wrist band his mother was wearing when she died in March.