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Joni Ernst

Joni Ernst

R IA · Senate

2025–Present Senate
2023–2025 Senate
2021–2023 Senate
2019–2021 Senate
2017–2019 Senate
2015–2017 Senate
Vote Date:
to

Defense

-49
Helped 831 Hurt 880 Unclear 610

Healthcare

+29
Helped 347 Hurt 318 Unclear 294

Finance

-84
Helped 305 Hurt 389 Unclear 146

Energy

-45
Helped 223 Hurt 268 Unclear 130

Agriculture

+102
Helped 302 Hurt 200 Unclear 115

Veterans Affairs

+184
Helped 341 Hurt 157 Unclear 83

Government Operations

-32
Helped 88 Hurt 120 Unclear 292

Education

-37
Helped 148 Hurt 185 Unclear 149

Trade

+2
Helped 146 Hurt 144 Unclear 42

Appropriations

+93
Helped 203 Hurt 110 Unclear 17

Transportation

-55
Helped 84 Hurt 139 Unclear 73

Environment

-34
Helped 94 Hurt 128 Unclear 71

Federal Budget

+162
Helped 207 Hurt 45 Unclear 36

Technology

-12
Helped 112 Hurt 124 Unclear 43

Housing

+74
Helped 164 Hurt 90 Unclear 13

Criminal Justice

+15
Helped 125 Hurt 110 Unclear 24

Foreign Policy

-33
Helped 93 Hurt 126 Unclear 33

Immigration

-127
Helped 43 Hurt 170 Unclear 37

Small Business

-4
Helped 118 Hurt 122

Science & Space

+25
Helped 112 Hurt 87 Unclear 11
20 policy domains
Helped Hurt Mixed Unclear

Industry Impact Profile

12223 industry impacts

All entities →
How this is computed

P Primary sponsor · C Co-sponsor · Y Yea vote · N Nay vote

Weighted score (w:) uses strongest role per bill. Weights: Primary 1.0, Co-sponsor 0.3, Yea 0.1, Nay -0.1.

Bills where the legislator voted nay (without sponsorship) contribute -0.1 per bill. Equal yea and nay roll calls on the same bill contribute 0.

Vote date filters affect vote attribution; sponsorship is always included.

Positive-Effect Industries

Direct (1459), Veterans Affairs (116), Defense (93), DoD (33), VA (19), Executive (16), USDA (16), Legislative (13), Agriculture (12), Congress (11), Treasury (11), CMS (9), NPS (7), State (7), Justice (6), Oversight (6), DOJ (4), Education (4), Foreign Affairs (4), ICE (4), Judiciary (4), DHS (3), Federal (3), Transportation (3), Cemeteries (2), Executive Branch (2), FDA (2), FEMA (2), Housing (2), Interior/USDA (2), International Development (2), Local (2), Military Logistics (2), NASA (2), SBA (2), SSA (2), DOD (1), Defense Procurement (1), Defense R&D (1), HHS (1), Homeland Security (1), Intelligence (1), Judicial (1), Legislative Branch (1), Manufacturing (1), Military (1), Military Personnel (1)
Direct (276), Veterans (121), Military Families (16), At-Risk Populations (4), Military (3), Foreign (2), Patients (1), Transparency (1)
Direct (251), Naval (2), Testing (2), Ammunition (1), Ground Vehicles (1), Missiles (1), Missiles/Hypersonics (1), Nuclear C3 (1), Rotorcraft (1), Small Business (1), Small/Innovative (1), Space Systems (1)
Direct (194), Research (15), Community (3), Tribal (3)
Direct (159), Coffee (2), Commodities (2), Hemp (2), Livestock (2)
Direct (157), Child Care (3), K-12 Schools (2), Immigrant Students (1), Religious Studies (1), Technical (1)
Direct (155), Federal/Military (1), Military/Pacific (1), Utilities/Infrastructure (1)

Negative-Effect Industries

Direct (1296), Veterans Affairs (70), Defense (65), EPA (22), Education (11), NPS (11), FDA (9), Agriculture (8), BLM (7), Forest Service (7), HHS (7), Foreign (5), Health Agencies (5), CFPB (4), Treasury/IRS (4), VA (4), DHS (3), Executive (3), Executive Branch (3), Legislative (3), NOAA (3), NOAA/EPA (3), SEC (3), Acquisition (2), Congress (2), Defense Acquisition (2), Executive Office (2), Intelligence (2), Judicial Branch (2), Military (2), Military Dependents (2), Military Personnel (2), Coast Guard (1), DoD (1), Energy/Defense (1), Executive Agencies (1), FDIC (1), Federal (1), Federal Reserve (1), Housing (1), Interior Department (1), Justice (1), NNSA (1), OCC (1), Space Force (1), Strategic Command (1), Treasury (1), U.S. Coast Guard (1), USDA (1), Waste Management (1)
Direct (157), Nuclear (2), Logistics (1), Maintenance (1)
Direct (115), Gender-Affirming Care (3), Family Planning Services (2), Public Health (2), Reproductive Health (2), Safety Net Providers (2)
Direct (82), Foreign (7), Electrical Equipment (1), Foreign Adversary (1)

Click any row to see supporting clauses

Showing positive and negative-direction effects only. Mixed and uncertain effects are not included in these counts.

Votes by Industry (Yea/Nay Alignment)

How this legislator's Yea/Nay votes landed across industries; distinct from overall bill exposure above.

Analysis coverage
100.0% of votes
Show vote-alignment table
S+ Supported Benefits
S- Supported Burdens
O+ Opposed Benefits
O- Opposed Burdens
Industry S+ S- O+ O- Net
Government (58 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Veterans Affairs (180), Defense (158), DoD (34), VA (23), EPA (22) +53 more
+533
General Public (5 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Veterans (141), Military Families (16), Military (3), Foreign (2), Taxpayers (1)
+240
Defense (14 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Naval (2), Nuclear (2), Testing (2), Ammunition (1), Ground Vehicles (1) +9 more
+78
Military (2 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Families (1), Space Force (1)
+29
Healthcare (8 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Research (15), Community (3), Gender-Affirming Care (3), Tribal (3), Family Planning Services (2) +3 more
+75
Education (4 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Child Care (3), Immigrant Students (1), Religious Studies (1), Technical (1)
+34
Construction (3 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Federal/Military (1), Military/Pacific (1), Utilities/Infrastructure (1)
- +107
Taxpayers - - +18
Agriculture (5 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Coffee (2), Commodities (2), Hemp (2), Livestock (2), Coffee Production (1)
- +142
Manufacturing (4 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Foreign (7), Electrical Equipment (2), Defense (1), Foreign Adversary (1)
+7
Transportation +13
Immigration - -109
Financial Services (3 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): HSA (7), HSA Administration (2), Transgender Individuals (1)
+39
State & Local Government (3 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Medicaid (6), Medicaid Programs (4), Non-Expansion (3)
+3
Energy (1 sub)
Sub-categories (total impacts, all buckets): Distributed Generation (1)
+28

Votes are cast on entire bills; attribution to individual clauses does not imply clause-level intent. Learn more

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Sponsored & Cosponsored Bills

s872-119

Primary Sponsor Passed Senate

Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025

9 clauses Mar 5, 2025
Media Taxpayers Government

s853-119

Primary Sponsor In Committee

INNOVATE Act

14 clauses Mar 5, 2025
Scientific Research and Development Services Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Federal Government Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing

s766-119

Primary Sponsor Passed Senate

Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025

3 clauses Feb 27, 2025
Government Contractors Government Government - Legislative Branch Government - Executive Office

s298-119

Primary Sponsor Reported

To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to headquarters to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.

13 clauses Jan 29, 2025
Local Government Real Estate Government Small Business

s302-119

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to improve the calculation and reduce the taxpayer cost of payment errors under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.

2 clauses Jan 29, 2025
Federal Government Animal Production

s210-119

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To prohibit agencies from using Federal funds for publicity or propaganda purposes, and for other purposes.

1 clause Jan 23, 2025
Defense Contractors

s148-119

Primary Sponsor In Committee

RED TAPE Act

2 clauses Jan 17, 2025
Government Agencies Government

s68-119

Primary Sponsor Reported

Complete COVID Collections Act

11 clauses Jan 9, 2025
Criminal Justice Government Government Transparency Taxpayers

s3926-118

Primary Sponsor Reported

To amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, and for other purposes.

11 clauses Mar 12, 2024
Transportation Federal Administration Defense Contractors Government Contractors

s3028-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To continue in effect certain Executive orders imposing sanctions with respect to Iran, to prevent the waiver of certain sanctions imposed by the United States with respect to Iran until the Government of Iran ceases to attempt to assassinate United States officials, other United States citizens, and Iranian nationals residing in the United States, and for other purposes.

8 clauses Oct 4, 2023
Transportation Federal Administration Defense Contractors Energy Production

s2189-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To require the publication of fossil-fuel powered travel by the President, the Vice President, and political appointees, and for other purposes.

1 clause Jun 22, 2023
Media Civic Organizations Federal Government

s1619-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To require the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to counter fentanyl trafficking in the United States, and for other purposes.

4 clauses May 16, 2023
Health Care Providers Federal Administration Defense Contractors

s1494-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To terminate certain contracts relating to the construction of the border fence and to transfer unused border fence materials to the States along the southwest border of the United States.

1 clause May 9, 2023
Immigrant Communities Environmental Groups Federal Government National Security

s1469-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To require certification of small business concerns as small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans in order to be counted toward goals for contract awards, and for other purposes.

1 clause May 4, 2023
Business Veterans Consumers Federal Government

s1470-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To amend the Small Business Act relating to small business concerns owned and controlled by women, and for other purposes.

3 clauses May 4, 2023
Agriculture Business Consumers Federal Government

s1411-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To amend title 5, United States Code, to require greater transparency for Federal regulatory decisions that impact small businesses, and for other purposes.

3 clauses May 3, 2023
Business Consumers Federal Government

s1361-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for floodplain easement restoration and management, and for other purposes.

1 clause Apr 27, 2023
Financial Services Disaster Relief And Emergency Management Agriculture Federal Government

s1259-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To prohibit the provision of Federal assistance to transit and rail projects with significant cost overruns and that are projected to lose money, and for other purposes.

1 clause Apr 25, 2023
Transportation Consumers Federal Government

s1258-118

Primary Sponsor Passed Senate

To require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit to Congress an annual report on projects that are over budget and behind schedule, and for other purposes.

6 clauses Apr 25, 2023
Emergency Management Services Federal Government Government Operations Construction

s1237-118

Primary Sponsor Introduced

To restore the exemption of family farms and small businesses from the definition of assets under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

2 clauses Apr 20, 2023
Education Agriculture Federal Government Business

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Click an industry from the Impact Profile to view supporting clauses

Policy Mechanisms Used

Industry Focus Distribution