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Sen. Paul uses Heimlich maneuver on choking Sen. Ernst

Iowa Republican was serving chops as host of Senate GOP lunch

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was choking at a Thursday lunch.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was choking at a Thursday lunch. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
By Niels Lesniewski
Posted November 30, 2023 at 4:05pm

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is thanking Sen. Rand Paul for coming to her rescue during Thursday’s Senate Republican lunch.

“Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats,” Ernst wrote on the X platform, formerly Twitter, in thanking her colleague from Kentucky, who reportedly administered the Heimlich maneuver to save Ernst from choking.

Paul is a doctor with a degree from Duke University who practiced ophthalmology in Kentucky before he came to Congress.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, described Paul on his personal X account as a “HERO,” adding, “Not all heroes wear capes. Not all senators can quote Mises and Hayek — while saving lives!”

Members of the GOP conference rotate hosting the Thursday lunch, and according to fellow Iowa GOP Sen. Charles E. Grassley, it was an Iowa day, with Ernst hosting and serving chops provided by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

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