New Year, New Congress, Same Dedication to Serving Iowans
When I look back on 2024, one of my highlights was connecting with Iowans on my River to River Tour. I celebrated a decade of crisscrossing Iowa from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River to hold public town halls, explore communities, tour small businesses, visit farms, and more in every corner of our great state. This year, I look forward to hearing directly from you, so I can bring your priorities to the halls of the 119th Congress.
In 2025, that includes fighting for our farmers, slashing government spending and overreach, making sure rural America isn’t left behind, supporting our small businesses, and keeping Iowans safe at home and abroad.
Over the past year, I have worked tirelessly on behalf of our farmers and passed bipartisan legislation into law to prevent the spread of foreign animal disease. I’ve also taken action to secure access to E15 for the summer driving months, while continuing the call for permanent, nationwide availability. This year, I look forward to getting a Farm Bill across the finish line that delivers real results for those who feed and fuel our world.
While Washington has doubled down on wasteful spending and shamefully prioritized bureaucrats, I’ve fought to cut the pork, bring federal workers back to the office (or sell off empty office buildings), and make ‘em squeal! Last year, my oversight forced the government to sell over a billion dollars’ worth of unused office space and exposed IRS agents who owe more than $50 million in back taxes. As founder of the new Senate DOGE Caucus, and now a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I will be working with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut trillions and protect your hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
I’m also determined to ensure our rural communities – like the one I was born and raised in – are not left behind. Following years of bipartisan work, my effort to close the digital divide and expand access to broadband across Iowa passed the Senate. After the Biden administration fumbled its FAFSA rollout and left farm families out in the cold, I successfully ushered in a law to provide more certainty for Iowans who rely on this tool for financial aid. In this next Congress, I’ll continue to put Iowans first and ensure you receive the opportunities and resources you deserve.
In my role as the top Republican on the Senate Small Business Committee, I am bringing the voices of mom-and-pop shops and innovators on Main Streets across Iowa to Washington. Last Congress, I recognized a Small Business of the Week in each of Iowa’s 99 counties, made it easier for small businesses to work with the federal government, and provided oversight to recover billions of taxpayer dollars from defaulted COVID loans. Looking ahead, I’m excited to recognize more Iowa businesses and create pro-growth policies.
Despite weakness in the Biden White House that led to a world on fire and wide open border, last year I successfully stopped taxpayer dollars from funding risky Chinese research and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, built upon President Trump’s Abraham Accords to unite the Middle East against the Iranian regime that has funded attacks on our citizens, and strengthened border security by empowering the Pentagon to secure our airspace and prevent drones from infiltrating our homeland. In my role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’ll continue working to keep Iowans safe.
Partnering with the new Republican majority and President Trump, I am ready to get our country back on track and bring some Iowa common sense to Washington!
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.
Click here for an official portrait of Senator Ernst.
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