Ernst Week in Review

Continuing to Fight for Iowans Affected by Flooding

Senator Ernst again this week is voicing her support for Iowans and those across the Midwest whose lives have been upended by the recent flooding.

Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Ernst’s remarks.

Additionally, Senator Ernst and fellow Iowa Senator, Chuck Grassley, introduced legislation to provide tax relief to Iowans impacted by the recent floods. The Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2019 would allow individuals in areas of Iowa and Nebraska that have been declared a major disaster by the president to be eligible for a number of tax benefits.

In the wake of the flooding, Senator Ernst will be hosting a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee field hearing in Southwest Iowa this upcoming week. The hearing will focus on answering questions about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ river management. Witnesses will include officials from the Army Corps and local leaders and stakeholders from Fremont County, among others.

Combating Sexual Assault

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Senator Ernst spoke on the floor of the Senate, encouraging her fellow lawmakers to join her in working to combat sexual assault. During her speech, the Iowa Senator stated, “Whether it’s working with Ranking Member on the Judiciary Committee Senator Feinstein to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, or fighting to reduce the abuse of females in custody through legislation with Senators Booker and Blumenthal, combatting sexual assault should be bipartisan, and something we all can agree on.”

Click here or on the image above to watch the Senator’s speech on combating sexual assault.

In keeping with this effort, Senators Ernst, Grassley, and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are probing the Department of Defense for an apparent failure to ask victims of sexual assault if they would prefer their case to be tried in a civilian or military court. In a letter to the Acting Secretary of Defense, the senators are seeking information about what rules are in place to ensure that victims are properly notified and how often prosecution in these cases takes place in the victim’s preferred venue. The full text of the senators’ letter can be found HERE.

Standing Up for Life and Iowa’s Children

This week, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Senator Ernst, a fierce defender of life, questioned witnesses and shared the remarkable story of Micah Pickering, a native of Newton, Iowa.  During the hearing, Ernst explained how at 20 weeks, “the humanity of Baby Micah was undeniable.” She went on to explain that Micah’s story is “a powerful testament to the fact that at five months of development, an unborn child is in every way a child, capable of feeling pain and growing up to live a full and happy life.”

Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Ernst’s opening remarks and questioning.

During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Senator Ernst questioned witnesses on Child Nutrition Reauthorization. There are few barriers that inhibit a child’s development greater than hunger, and Senator Ernst was outspoken about her commitment to ensuring children in Iowa have access to quality, healthy food.

Click here or on the image above to watch the Senator’s remarks and questioning.

Communicating Priorities

###