Sen. Joni Ernst tells Commerce Department to stop spending spree

Sen. Joni Ernst blasted the Commerce Department on Tuesday for its attempt to dump billions of dollars in cash before the end of the administration, hoping to lock in President Biden’s plans before they can be reversed by his successor.

Ms. Ernst, Iowa Republican, said the lesson from the coronavirus pandemic was that “shoveling out heaps of taxpayer dollars” leads to waste and fraud.

Her chief target was the Commerce Department’s spending under the CHIPS and Science Act, legislation signed by Mr. Biden that is intended to boost American semiconductor manufacturing.

Though it was enacted in 2022, the administration had slow-walked the spending until last month, when President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the election was apparent. The Commerce Department has doubled total spending in just 27 days, Ms. Ernst said.

Government-wide, Biden administration officials are attempting to “Trump-proof” as much of their operations as possible. That includes last-minute rule-making, locking in labor union deals and trying to spend money before Mr. Trump can halt it.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has been explicit in her goal of getting nearly all $53 billion in available funding out the door before she exits next month.

“That’s the goal, and I certainly want to have all the major announcements done as it relates to the big, leading-edge companies,” Ms. Raimondo said last month in an interview with Politico, a news website.

Ms. Ernst suggested that was an affront to voters’ wishes.

“I request the Department of Commerce immediately suspend the shopping spree and discontinue awarding new grants until a new secretary is confirmed,” she said.