Ernst Secures Wins in Defense Bill to Support Partners, End Energy Reliance on Adversaries, Stand with Servicemembers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that she secured a number of her priorities in the annual defense bill, the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

Click HERE to listen to Ernst discuss the bill.

“As a combat veteran and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the annual defense bill is one of my major priorities each year; and I am proud to announce that a number of my efforts to support our partners, end our energy reliance on foreign adversaries, and stand with our men and women in uniform were included in this year’s NDAA,” said Ernst. “This important bill ensures the United States military remains the most lethal fighting force on the face of the planet.”

Ernst’s efforts included in the FY2023 NDAA focus on:

Supporting our partners:

• Key parts of the senator’s bipartisan DEFEND Act to create an integrated air and missile defense network with Middle Eastern partners to counter Iran.
• Ernst’s measure to provide training to Ukrainian forces on how to de-mine the Black Sea.

Ending energy reliance on our adversaries:

• Key parts of the senator’s bipartisan HARD ROCK Act to rebuild the National Defense Stockpile and force DoD to procure critical minerals from the U.S. or our partners and allies.
• Ernst’s initiative to prevent INDOPACOM from procuring energy from adversaries, specifically North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China.
• Her provision to limit DoD’s procurement of electric vehicles with parts sourced by slave and child labor.

Standing with our servicemembers:

• Ernst’s push to standardize how the military diagnoses traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder across all military services.
• Ernst-supported effort to end the DoD’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate due to readiness and end strength concerns.
• Ernst-supported pay increase for our servicemembers.

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