Sen. Joni Ernst in State of the Union rebuttal: 'Congress is back to work on your behalf'

In the Republican rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address, freshman Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) sought to pivot toward the future in the wake of the GOP's midterm election triumph, saying Congress was "back to work on your behalf."

"We heard the message you sent in November, loud and clear," she said.

Ernst offered few policy specifics in the brief response, instead focusing on broader priorities like reforming the tax code, repealing Obamacare, and approving the Keystone XL pipeline.

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