Opening Statement: Ernst Leads Senate Armed Services Subcommittee Hearing on DoD Vetting Policies

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a combat veteran and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, led a subcommittee hearing to review the Department of Defense’s vetting policies for international military students following the attack on Naval Air Station Pensacola last December. In her opening statement, Chairman Ernst highlighted the benefits programs like International Military Training and Education (IMET) provide for our partners from around the world—giving them the opportunity to train and learn from the best here in the U.S. But she stated that while there are valuable benefits of these programs, the tragic events at Pensacola underscore the unacceptable shortfalls in our security standards and vetting procedures.