Joni Ernst
U.S. Senator for Iowa
Republican · Since 2015 · Next election: 2026 · Age 56 · Junior senator
Last updated · 6 sources
Joni Ernst is the junior U.S. Senator for Iowa, a Republican serving since 2015.
Ernst has served in the Senate longer than 45 of its 99 other members.
Ernst chairs the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and also sits on Armed Services; Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In the Senate's last 30 days in session (Jun 23 – Oct 2, 2026), Ernst voted in 72 of 74 roll calls (97%). In that period, 34 bills Ernst sponsored or cosponsored had new actions.
1 bill Ernst sponsored has become law in the 119th Congress.
Ernst is not seeking re-election in 2026 (announced Sep 2, 2025).
This week (Sep 28 – Oct 4, 2026)
Full schedule →Senate: met Mon–Wed (Sep 28–30, 2026); a pro forma session Thu
12 roll-call votes: 6 Nay, 5 Yea, 1 Not Voting
· Hearing
Hearings to examine rogue AI, focusing on securing the homeland against AI agents.
Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census (Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee) · 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building · Notice
Votes
All of them →Voted in 72 of 74 roll calls (97%), Jun 23 – Oct 2, 2026.
Ernst voted with the majority of Senate Republicans on 71 roll calls and against it on 1.
Votes against the party majority and missed votes
| Date | Vote | Question | Result | Joni Ernst | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 | No. 256 | On the Nomination PN1129Confirmation: Keith Sonderling, of F.L., to be Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed | Not Voting | Did not vote |
| Sep 23 | No. 241 | On the Nomination PN999-1Confirmation: Angela Veronica Colmenero, of T.X., to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas | Nomination Confirmed | Not Voting | Did not vote |
| Aug 8 | No. 227 | On the Motion to Table H.R. 6500Motion to Table Budd Amdt. No. 6747 | Motion to Table Agreed to | Nay | Most Senate Republicans: Yea |
Legislation
100 bills sponsored and 208 cosponsored in the 119th Congress · 1 became law
S.Res. 939 A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that it values the active participation of the Republic of Kosovo as the state partner of the Iowa National Guard over the past 15 years.
Cosponsor · Latest action Sep 30, 2026: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S. 766 Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025
Sponsor · Latest action Sep 29, 2026: Presented to President.
This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information from federal agencies and report to Congress regarding projects that are behind schedule or have expenditures that have exceeded the original cost estimate.
S.Res. 923 A resolution expressing support for the designation of October 4 through October 10, 2026, as "National 4-H Week".
Cosponsor · Latest action Sep 29, 2026: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5186; text: CR S5176)
Sponsored bills that became law (1)
S. 3971 Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act
Latest action Apr 13, 2026: Became Public Law No: 119-83.
Iowa senators
Chuck GrassleyU.S. Senator for Iowa · Republican
Sources
- congress-legislators (member data, CC0) · retrieved Oct 2, 2026
- Portrait: Public domain (U.S. government work)
- U.S. Senate roll-call votes (senate.gov)
- Committee meeting notices · retrieved Oct 1, 2026
- Bill status (Congress.gov / GovInfo BILLSTATUS) · retrieved Oct 1, 2026
- 2026 ballot status
