Military veterans’ payments on their monthly healthcare billing statements from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should be delayed further due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said. Most recently, the VA extended a Dec. Read more…
Pornographic websites that profit from exploiting the images of rape and sex trafficking victims could be sued under a newly introduced bipartisan bill offered earlier this week by U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Joni Ernst (R-IA). The lawmakers on Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Dec. 2 unveiled legislation that would establish and authorize a $1.25 billion grant program over five years to expand the nation’s domestic production of certain medical supplies. Sen. Ernst sponsored the Mobilize America to Read more…
The Department of Defense (DOD) must immediately make plans to utilize the latest rapid antigen tests for coronavirus to detect the asymptomatic carriers of the virus among military personnel, their families, civilian employees, and contractors in order to save lives, Read more…
Bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) to protect amateur athletes from abuse, including sexual abuse, by coaches and employees in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports, recently became law. The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of Read more…
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) led 18 Republican senators in support of a proposed pilot program by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that is modeled after bipartisan, bicameral legislation he unveiled in 2019. “We write to express our Read more…
For Americans who wish to return to school and work, access to COVID-19 testing is critical and they should not have to question whether such testing is covered by their insurance, according to U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and several Read more…
Sweeping U.S. Olympic reform legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) became law on Oct. 30 with the president’s signature. The bipartisan, bicameral Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, S. 2330, which Sen. Moran introduced in Read more…
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Oct. 21 introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to carry out a grant program aimed at increasing research cooperation on post-traumatic stress disorder Read more…
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and several other Republicans called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its biogenic carbon emissions rulemaking and provide regulatory clarity to the nation’s farmers, businesses and entrepreneurs who want to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of colleagues to request changes to certain hospital reporting requirements published last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Specifically, the lawmakers said that they “grave concerns” Read more…
A recent U.S. Senate Finance Committee report affirms legislation proposed by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) to support elder care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country, particularly those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “This report sheds Read more…
The U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 1 unanimously approved U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran’s (R-KS) bipartisan Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, which he introduced with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The bill now heads to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Sept. 23 unveiled bipartisan legislation to raise awareness about suicide prevention for America’s combat military veterans. Specifically, S. 4657, which Sen. Ernst sponsored with lead cosponsor U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), would direct the Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) on Sept. 17 introduced the bipartisan Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act to provide for the portability of professional licenses of members of the uniformed services and their spouses. “I’m proud that Missouri has been a Read more…
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) last week joined several of his U.S. Senate colleagues in expressing concerns about recent actions by pharmaceutical manufacturers that they say threaten to undermine the role of contract pharmacies in the 340B Drug Pricing Program Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) joined several of his Republican colleagues in requesting that Attorney General William Barr provide details about the violence against America’s law enforcement officers. “We know that you and the Justice Department are doing everything you Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and fellow lawmakers called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt changes as they implement conservation programs authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. “I worked across the aisle to strengthen conservation programs in Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) joined a bipartisan group of two dozen lawmakers in calling on the Trump administration to ensure America’s trading partners abide by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Specifically, Sen. Ernst and her colleagues asked U.S. Department Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Wednesday applauded action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include liquid egg producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which supports farmers or ranchers whose operations have been directly impacted by Read more…
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a sweeping, bipartisan Olympic reform bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS). “Today’s Senate passage of our Olympic reform legislation marks a critical step towards providing effective safeguards and protections to Olympic, Read more…
U.S. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) on Monday sponsored a bipartisan bill that would authorize grant funding to support the reopening and operation of America’s childcare programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This bipartisan legislation will support children’s early educational development and Read more…
Compensation received by frontline employees during the COVID-19 pandemic would be excluded from income and payroll taxes under new legislation recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). “These men and women are putting the interests of their fellow Americans Read more…
U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) on July 20 introduced legislation to provide for hospital and insurer price transparency to better serve patients. “This legislation will give patients and families a clearer picture of the costs of procedures at hospitals, allowing Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently proposed a bill that would provide assistance for America’s childcare providers, enabling them to continue offering critical, affordable services for working parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Unfortunately, this pandemic has only made our childcare Read more…
The U.S. Senate on July 2 unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to designate August 2020 as National Women’s Suffrage Month. Sen. Collins on the same day signed on as the lead original cosponsor Read more…
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on July 2 joined a group of Republican senators in introducing the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2020. “This bipartisan legislation addresses some of the most pressing problems in our healthcare system,” Sen. Collins Read more…
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and a bipartisan contingent of 37 of his U.S. Senate colleagues requested that federal health agencies keep them in the loop regarding any policy changes planned for the expansion of telehealth services under Medicare. The Read more…
America’s livestock and poultry producers would receive federal relief to tackle the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic under a Republican bill introduced on July 2 by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). The senator is among four original cosponsors of Read more…
The U.S. Senate on June 30 unanimously approved the bipartisan Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). “During these trying times in our nation, getting this commonsense, bipartisan bill unanimously through the Senate Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) requested that U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie provide information on the implementation status of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, a sweeping law that includes her bill expanding telehealth services to military veterans in Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently warned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against worsening the unprecedented economic challenges faced by the biofuels industry and the rural communities that it supports by granting certain biofuel blending waivers. “We write with frustration Read more…
Paid parental leave is even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, said U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) during a June 18 bipartisan roundtable on the issue. “Today’s roundtable serves as a positive step forward in the Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced a GOP-led bill that would incentivize pharmaceutical, medical device and supply manufacturers to relocate from China to the United States. “While China is our trade partner, there’s no doubt we can find ways to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently introduced a bipartisan bill to provide the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) with flexibility in caring for homeless military veterans during a public health emergency. “Without access to some of the most basic Read more…
As federal resources become available in response to COVID-19, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) requested that her home-state governor ensure the needs of Iowa’s domestic violence prevention programs are quickly and appropriately funded. “We have heard from service providers across Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) this week urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include the nation’s egg producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). “Much of our state’s egg production supports our commercial food service, and while Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently requested that U.S. Senate leadership ensure adult caregivers receive the additional $500 direct payments provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and again called for inclusion of her bipartisan, bicameral Read more…
U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) joined several Republicans in introducing legislation that would require a thorough national security evaluation and clearance of all Chinese student visa holders currently in the United States before issuing any new student visas to nationals Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) last week led 23 of her colleagues in seeking federal protections for America’s biofuels. Specifically, the senators urged the Trump Administration to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and to reject the requests from five Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) applauded an April 28 executive order signed by the president to ensure that the nation’s beef, pork and poultry processors in the food supply chain continue operating and fulfilling orders, action she has continually advocated Read more…
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined more than two dozen of his U.S. Senate Republican colleagues in urging the government against allowing early releases for violent offenders incarcerated in federal prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have serious concerns about Read more…
A bipartisan bill unveiled by U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) to reduce medication costs became law as part of the recently signed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Rep. LaHood in March signed on as an original cosponsor Read more…
America’s caregivers for senior citizens should not be overlooked in forthcoming guidelines being set to disburse federal funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chairman of the Senate Special Committee Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) called on Congress to end U.S. taxpayer funding of both China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) laboratory and the country’s unregulated wet markets. Sen. Ernst and several colleagues expressed concerns over past federal funding to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and more than a dozen other senators urged leading public health officials to take immediate steps to bolster the federal government’s and states’ testing and disease surveillance systems and infrastructure to rapidly expand the nation’s Read more…
Following the recent closure of the Smithfield pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., due to a COVID-19 outbreak, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and a bipartisan, bicameral contingent of congressional lawmakers requested federal assistance for the nation’s pork producers Read more…
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) last week joined five of their U.S. Senate Republican colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to address the mental health of U.S. military service members during the COVID-19 Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and more than a dozen other senators called on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to help sustain the U.S. dairy industry by utilizing authorities under the recently signed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Read more…
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and several of his GOP Senate colleagues are seeking information from the World Health Organization (WHO) on its possible involvement helping the Chinese Communist Party cover up the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Young, chairman of the Read more…