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

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

Ernst spoke with KIOW News on the importance of the measure.

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.